What is Leadership?
Leadership is the process of influencing people toward the achievement of a common goal. It is the act of guiding an organisation, team, or other group to achieve its goals.
Leadership can be seen as a process of social influence in which the leader influences others to change their attitudes, beliefs and behaviours.
Leadership has two core aspects:
- It requires followers (you can’t lead if you are standing alone), and
- It is based on influence.
As summarised by Simon Western: our emotions shape how we perceive leadership and followership. Leadership is created in our minds (individually and collectively), converted into social roles and positions and internalised into identities. It remains essentially an idea we are constantly reworking. (Leadership a critical text 3rd ed)
Two key types of leadership
The most obvious type of leadership is a position wherein an organisation designates an individual with positional power based on their rank and seniority. People outside of the organisation can see and easily understand this type of leadership as it is so common.
Yet there is another type of leadership that is prominently seen within organisations, one that is not defined by a person’s position. This leadership comes from employees who hold influential positions for other reasons, such as: who they work for, their length of time in the organisation, their knowledge level, or their social power (village elder, advocate, relative to a powerful person etc).
Leadership is never just top down, it happens at all levels and across areas / industries.
Why should your care about culture in organisations?
Here are several reasons why organisational culture is important: Increased employee engagement, Decreased turnover, Strong brand identity, Elevated productivity, Transformational power, Top performers, Effective onboarding, Healthy team environment, Increased employee engagement.
Organisational culture builds a high-performance culture that strengthens the work of people within the company, resulting in a positive employee experience overall.
Having a clear culture that unifies employees and promotes organised work structures helps people work together with purpose.
Deloitte research found executives rank tangible elements of culture-building (such as financial performance and compensation) the highest, while employees place the most value on intangibles (such as open communication, employee recognition and access to leadership). That said, with the way today’s workplace is evolving, executives are starting to recognise the importance of organisational culture to the bottom line.
Good leadership
What has been considered good leadership has always been driven by the prevailing environment at any one point in time.
The values and attributes of good leaders have been influenced by the main cultures driving business around the world. These qualities have changed as the business world has changed – from industrialisation to the impact of IT and the change in services.
No style of leadership is ever lost, but they can move out of favour, find their place in specific industries or across global cultures.
The importance of culture in good leadership
The definition of good leadership is also driven by the culture you live within. The values you hold are what you tend to look for in a leader. Some values are common across nations, such as: integrity, competence, forward thinking and the ability to be inspirational. However, some are specific to the country or region the leader resides within.
The best style of leadership in these environments is the one which can reflect the values of where they are located.
Overlaid across this is the culture of the organisation itself, which can be different to the broader society, especially if it is international. Often companies have their own culture that is reflected in their priorities, policies and codes of conduct. When a company culture clashes with those of broader society, then each person must reconcile the competing demands faced, between what is expected socially against what is expected at work.
Final thoughts
For these reasons we at Xseed Lead don’t try to impose a specific type of leadership style on our clients. We recognise that the best type of leadership depends on the environment, culture, position responsibilities and the team you have.
We also recognise the best style of leadership may change with the situation being faced. For example, in a time of calm, a collaborative approach may be best. Alternatively, in a time of crisis or high operations, a more directive approach may be needed.
Yes, it reads like a lot to manage, because it is! But it can be achieved through honouring yourself and being conscious of the other factors which influence your decisions.
Xseed Lead can assist you in achieving your goals. Contact us to seek support and make real change.
Author Bio
Deborah Knight is the founder of Xsead Lead with a background in organisational and individual leadership and executive coaching.
As a coach, Deborah aims to create an inclusive and respectful space where individuals and organisations can do the work necessary for growth and change. She is also passionate about helping women be valued for themselves while also contributing and being successful.
Apart from her company which she is deeply passionate about, Deborah also loves bushwalking, reading, travelling, and learning new things.
For any coaching or organisational support enquiries Deborah can be contacted via email: info@xseedlead.com.au or via her company website which is www.xseedlead.com.au.
