You may hear and read comments like “command and control has no place anymore”, or “authentic leadership is the key for performance”. But this type of rhetoric can be confusing and sometimes completely misinformed.
If your team is exposed to circumstances where they are unfamiliar, unskilled, or their safety is jeopardized, command and control approaches may be exactly what will ignite motivation and enable their success.
If your team is newly formed with highly motivated, highly capable people then there is a chance that servant or empowering leadership attitudes will help create the conditions where they can excel.
If your team is diverse, complex and about to navigate substantial changes then it could be that combinations of transformational, transactional and moral leadership will best serve their certainty and confidence through the change.
The point is, leadership it is first and foremost about PEOPLE.
Leadership is the act of leading a group of people; not a group of boxes that respond predictably to specific inputs.
For leadership behaviours to be appropriate and effective for people, they need to be founded in values, beliefs and attitudes that prioritise people.
If you want to lead people well, focus on
⚖ How you value them,
🤝 How you connect with them,
👷 What you can learn about them,
⛈ What environments and conditions they must navigate, and
💡 How you can behave to give them the best chance of success.
And if you ever feel uncertain or under-skilled about how to behave
❓ Ask questions,
✅ Develop your capability,
🔬 Test and adjust.
Sometimes we need fluid flexibility. Sometimes we need concrete consistency. Your people have the answer.