The 6 Leadership Styles in Turbulent Times

“Anyone can take the helm when the sea is calm.” - Publilius Syrus

Investment analysts talk about “black swan events,” which are significant events that occur roughly once per decade and have major global impact. Examples include: natural disasters, trade disputes, wars, acts of terrorism, the global financial sector meltdown, and of course global pandemics (six since 2000).

The year 2020 will undoubtedly be remembered as the year of the Covid-19 global pandemic which brought large scale upheaval to personal health, workplaces, industries, countries, and entire economies. Also, throw in the amount of “typical” change that organizations experience (mergers, re-structuring, new systems, leadership changes, process improvements, etc.) and leadership at every level gets truly ‘tested’ on a very regular basis. We also know that when tested, many leaders rise to the occasion and shine, while other leaders run for cover and disappear. During black swan events, people are pushed down to the bottom of Maslow’s hierarchy of needs (food, clothing, shelter), and it is particularly important for leaders to lead from the front, be present, visible, and double-down on action and communication.

This article explores the Six Leadership Styles, and how they each add value in turbulent times, while also providing a cautionary tale for each one.

The Six Leadership Styles: Overview

Joint research by Harvard University and Korn Ferry, titled ‘Leadership That Gets Results’ (Goleman, 2000) originally identified the Six Leadership Styles and empirically showed that the style of a leader accounts for 70% of the variance in the climate the leader creates (what it feels like to work here). The climate, in turn, accounts for 30% of the variance in results the team achieves. Clearly, the leader sets the tone.  A brief definition of each of the 6 Leadership Styles is shown below:

Leadership Styles in Turbulent Times: Strengths & Cautions

Conclusion: 5 Things to Know + 1 Bonus Thing

1.     Self-awareness is the leadership superfood. Most leaders think they use 4-5 of the six leadership styles but most leaders actually use 1. A 1-trick pony just doesn’t cut it.

2.     World-class leaders have developed comfort with 4+ leadership styles (19% of leaders globally).

3.     You need them all. The more leadership styles you have command over, the more people and situations you can manage effectively – doubly true in turbulent times!

4.     Leadership style drives 70% of climate, & climate drives 30% of results. The leader sets the tone!

5.     Fact: The single biggest driver of culture is leadership behaviour.

Bonus Information: The top 10 leadership competencies most critical to draw upon when leading in turbulent times are, in rank order: (1) Action Oriented, (2) Manages Ambiguity & Complexity, (3) Courage, (4) Being Resilient, (5) Decision Quality, (6) Instills Trust, (7) Plans and Aligns, (8) Builds Networks, (9) Ensures Accountability, (10) Drives Vision and Purpose (Korn Ferry Institute, 2020)

What’s the mix of leadership styles among your leaders? Is it helping or hindering performance? Is it building the culture you want? Leaders can understand the mix of leadership styles they typically draw upon by completing a 180° degree feedback tool that provides a foundation for self-awareness, coaching, development planning, and a deeper understanding of the leadership culture you are driving.

Contact

Brent Pederson is a Senior Client Partner with Korn Ferry, a global management consulting firm. He has worked in 8 countries and specializes in leadership development, coaching, assessments, succession, and performance management. When he’s not working with clients, he regularly presents at conferences and publishes articles. At times you might even find him mountain biking or wood working. Brent can be reached at 1.306.359.0181, email at [email protected], or on LinkedIn.