Adapt your leadership style situationally to be effective as a board director

The times where board members can be successful by only using a hierarchical approach to leadership are long gone.

Neither is there a one-size-fits-all leadership style for board directors that is most effective.

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Effectiveness

Instead, the most effective board directors (and executive leaders as well) are those that can adapt their leadership style and approach to the needs of the boards and the organization.

Navigating between different leadership styles is especially crucial when an organization is going through a period of transformational change, or when there is a new strategy to be implemented.

Significant change demands:

??More adaptability in response to uncertainty and complexity,

??Adapting the right level of guidance, support and autonomy to team members who may be at different stages of acceptance and readiness for the change,

??Adjusting communication style to ensure that the vision, goals and change process steps are clearly understood by all,

??Providing more support and reassurance in difficult times to maintain motivation and morale, to maintain a positive collaborative environment, and

??Addressing potential issues, obstacles and risks that arise during strategy execution, depending on the specific situation.

So, to be effective as a board member or senior executive during transformational times requires situational awareness.

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Situational awareness

Being able to adapt your leadership style to the context, maturity, competence, skills or commitment of the individuals, teams or stakeholders they are attempting to lead or influence is key.?

This situational leadership capability requires a toolkit consisting of:

1) Awareness - of personal style preferences

2) Diagnosing - the nature, complexity and urgency of a situation or the problem to solve to understand what is needed most, and

3) Selecting - the most effective style for each situation, based on knowledge of the capabilities, experience, motivation and culture of the team.

This situational leadership approach, requires skill, experience and flexibility of the leader as well as a deep understanding of people and team dynamics.

And, leaders need regular training, self-assessment, feedback, reflection on past experiences through mentoring or coaching, to be able to learn from past experiences.

Moreover, staying informed about trends in leadership, practicing emotional intelligence, cultivating adaptability and being open to learn helps in building situational awareness.

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Leadership is a challenge

While adapting to different situations and team member needs is beneficial, cultivating not only one style but multiple ones is difficult.

If either the adaption is not done well, it could lead to:

??Ineffectiveness - when you have misjudged the required style,

??Discomfort - resulting in resistance due to switching leadership styles,

??Impracticality - as you may not have mastered the required proficiency in multiple styles,

??Misunderstandings - as communication becomes more challenging when switching styles,

??Confusion - as you may come across as inconsistent, unpredictable or unreliable, by switching between different leadership styles, or

??Being non-authentic - and being seen as insincere or unconvincing, by adopting a style that doesn't align with a leader's authentic self.

The goal is not to master all styles, but to develop flexibility while staying true to one's values and strengths.

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Example of leadership style differences

One example to show the difference in needs is between leadership for projects vs. for strategic transformational change.?

??Project leadership - is more task-oriented to achieve specific objectives within a defined timeframe. It requires managing both people and tasks, and using leading project management methods and tools. Leaders are responsible for building the project team and project organization, and guiding their teams through complex and turbulent environments. A more transaction or performance oriented leadership style by motivating the team to meeting goals, objectives and deadlines may be suitable here.

??In contrast, strategic transformational change leadership - is more about inspiring and leading people through purpose and vision, in support of the long-term strategic direction of the organization. A transformational leadership style is more oriented towards tenacity, charisma, and risk-taking to challenge the current operational ways-of-working and culture to introduce new practices consistent with the leader’s ideologies.

Board directors' role and style in those contexts, also changes from:

??Project leadership - solving problems and making decisions to unblock project progress. Maintaining project oversight and ensuring good governance. Creating a controlled environment in which there are clear roles and responsibilities. And, ensuring leading practice project management frameworks, methods or tools are used.?

??To: leadership for strategic transformational change, consisting of - Setting strategy in an iterative process with the CEO and through engagement with executive management. Defining direction and parameters for growth and transformation. And, designing and implementing the change in alignment with purpose, vision and values in collaboration with the executive leadership team.

??There are many styles to choose from - see the 'Appendix - guide to leadership styles' below as a reference.

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Develop the right board leadership style or fail

It's expensive if boards together with executive leadership teams don't demonstrate an effective leadership style for projects, or transformational change.?

They risk project failure, loss of value, poor stakeholder engagement, confusion or conflict or ineffective communication.

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To be an effective board leader demands:

??Commitment to the big picture - to inspire and develop a shared purpose, instead of too much focus on operational distraction,

??Getting to know each other - resulting in camaraderie, mutual respect, understanding and total alignment,

??Personal adaptability - whether you are introverted, driven by data and analysis, or more intuition based,

??Balancing - the desire for rapid growth and transformation with the organizational change capacity,

??Articulated norms for board engagement - to set clear expectations for effective collaboration,

??Being able to deal with disruptors - which may throw over the standard governance practices,

??Passion and enthusiasm - and lead by example, which inspires others to strive for excellence,

??Moving out of your comfort zone - to create new innovative thinking and action,

??Understanding organization operations - to grasp the implications of change,

??Focus of board committees - in alignment with the strategic direction, and

??A safe environment - where everybody feels safe to try new things,

??Making though decisions - to maintain momentum and earn respect.

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Practice leadership styles

In times of change, the leadership style and approach would need to be adapted to effectively manage the change process.?

Here’s how the different leadership styles might be applied:?

??Hierarchical Leadership: At the beginning of the project, a clear direction and plan need to be established. A hierarchical approach can be useful here to make key decisions and set the strategic direction.

??Co-Leadership: As the project progresses, it can be beneficial to have co-leaders who bring different skills and perspectives. They can work together to manage different aspects of the project.

??Shared Leadership: As the team starts working on the project, a shared leadership approach can be effective. Team members can take on leadership roles in their areas of expertise, contributing to the overall project.

??Distributed Leadership: As the change process continues, a distributed leadership style can help to ensure that all team members are engaged and contributing. This can help to build ownership and commitment to the change.

??Lattice Leadership: Towards the end of the project, a lattice leadership approach can be useful. This allows for a more flexible and adaptive approach, as the team works together to implement and refine the change.

Try practicing switching styles in your context towards your goals.

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Start by

Asking yourself:

?What is your preferred leadership style?

?Which leadership styles have you experienced?

?Which are your personal leadership strengths and values?

?When have you last reflected on your leadership effectiveness e.g. through receiving feedback, mentoring or coaching?

?When is the last time you received leadership training or took a self-assessment?

?What is the situation you are in? (Nature, complexity and urgency of a situation or the problem to solve)

?Which leadership style could be most effective for the situation in relation to your strengths and values?

And remember "The function of leadership is to produce more leaders, not more followers".

Lead well.

#boardsintransformation

#projectleadership

#projects

#transformation

#transformationmindset

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Appendix - Guide to leadership styles

There are many leadership styles to choose from, which can be seen from multiple perspectives.?

Here are a few provided as a reference, by perspective.?

Distribution of power perspective:

?Hierarchical Leadership: Traditional top-down 'vertical' style where decision-making power is concentrated at the top, giving direction to subordinates.

?Transactional Leadership : Involves telling staff exactly what to achieve in return for specified awards or performance incentives.

?Co-Leadership: Two or more individuals share the leadership role. They collaborate and make decisions together, leveraging their individual strengths.

?Shared Leadership: A team-based 'horizontal' approach where leadership roles are distributed among team members. Everyone has an equal opportunity to take on leadership responsibilities.

?Distributed Leadership: Shared leadership taken further , where leadership is seen as a group activity that is spread across different people within the organization, not just confined to formal leadership roles.

?Lattice Leadership: The most decentralized form of leadership, characterized by self-management where everyone is seen as a leader. Decisions are made collectively, and power and control are shared equally.

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Leadership theory or approach perspective:

?Trait Leadership: assumes that leaders are born, not made. It focuses on identifying the specific personality traits that are linked to effective leadership, such as confidence, intelligence, and sociability.

?Behavioral Leadership: suggests that leadership is not about inherent traits, but about behaviors and actions. Leaders can be made, rather than being born, through learning and observation.

?Situational Leadership: suggests that there is no single best style of leadership. Effective leadership varies with the task at hand and situational leaders adapt their leadership style according to the situation.

?Transformational Leadership: inspires and motivates followers to achieve their full potential and exceed their own personal goals. They often lead to high productivity and satisfaction among team members.

?Servant Leadership: puts the needs of their followers first. They focus on personal growth, empowerment, and well-being of their team members.

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Decision-making preference perspective:

?Autocratic Leadership: where the leader makes decisions without consulting their team members, even if their input would be useful.

?Democratic Leadership (Participative): where the leader involves team members in the decision-making process, but the ultimate decision-making power remains with the leader.

?Laissez-Faire Leadership (Delegative): where the leader gives team members a lot of freedom in how they do their work, and how they set their deadlines.

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Emotional intelligence based perspective:

?Coaching Leadership: focuses on the personal development of their followers, often acting as a mentor.

?Visionary Leadership: creates a vision of the future, and guides their followers towards it. They lead the team by articulating a clear, compelling vision, and they are good at building enthusiasm about this vision.

?Affiliative Leadership: works to create emotional bonds and harmony among team members.

?Pacesetting Leadership: sets high standards and exemplify them. Their goal is to have the fastest and best performance in their team.