Is Your Leadership Style Still Relevant?

The working world changes constantly and management must adapt their leadership to current needs to encourage employee commitment.

Managers play an important role in achieving the strategic objectives set by your organization. There’s no standard formula for mobilizing your teams to achieve common goals, but flexibility and certain key elements can help.

Adapting your leadership to the team’s reality

Situational leadership involves adapting the level of involvement (proximity) to the situation and characteristics of each individual.

This approach is based on a simple principle: there are several management styles and not just one. Instead of applying the same method to all circumstances, a manager can adapt their style to the level of experience, motivation and autonomy of each team member.

For example, a new employee would benefit from structured and explanatory support while more latitude and autonomy may be best suited to an experienced colleague. This ability to adapt allows leaders to better meet individual needs and foster engagement within the organization.

Communicating clearly to build team accountability

Effective communication is key to mobilizing teams and avoiding misunderstandings.

• Disseminate clear, structured and precise information and define the objective of each exchange.
• Include concrete timelines such as “before end of day” rather than vague wording like “as soon as possible” to clarify expectations and encourage commitment.
• Structure your messages around key questions (who, what, where, when, how and why) to improve understanding and facilitate the mobilization of all team members.

Managing sensitive situations: emotional bubbles and active listening

During difficult discussions and when sharing feedback, you should always take emotional aspects into account. An employee may create an “emotional bubble” that prevents them from dealing with the situation in a rational manner. Before seeking solutions, managers should engage in active listening:

• Ask open-ended questions;
• Reflect back the other person’s emotions;
• Allow the employee to express themself freely.

This approach serves to defuse tension, restore dialogue and create a trusting environment conducive to resolving issues.

Intervening with demotivated and uncooperative employees

Quickly recognizing the signs of demotivation and a lack of collaboration is crucial to maintaining team cohesion:

• Frequent absences;
• Reduced commitment;
• Decreased initiative and productivity;
• Negative or indifferent responses.

As a manager, you must take a tactful and methodical approach to such situations:

• Meet with the employee for an open discussion;
• Practise active listening;
• Identify the root cause of the issue;
• Set clear improvement objectives;
• Offer support;
• Provide regular feedback;
• Monitor the situation until it has been resolved.

This structured approach contributes to restoring motivation and strengthening the group dynamic.

Enhancing constructive feedback

Feedback is a powerful tool that encourages continuous improvement and supports accountability.

The KEEP-STOP-START method involves sorting feedback into three categories and determining which behaviour you should retain, stop or adopt.

For example, you may recognize positive intentions on the part of an employee exhibiting inappropriate behaviour, but inform them of the negative impact and work together to find solutions to avoid such negative consequences in the future. This practical approach helps to guide both individual and collective development in a clear, caring and efficient manner.

Adapting to different communication styles

Every individual has their own communication style: direct, expressive, cooperative or analytical. Recognizing these differences allows you to adjust your approach and optimize discussions.

Analytical employees appreciate a detailed structure while expressive individuals prefer spontaneity and human contact. Adapting the duration, content and format of your exchanges based on individual profiles paves the way for collaboration and engagement.

Creating a climate of trust and accountability

Making team members accountable involves creating trust, recognition and adapted follow-ups. Setting clear objectives, celebrating progress and offering regular support contributes to creating a climate of trust conducive to engagement and group performance. Managers who focus on listening and adapting encourage resilience and innovation within their organization.

Through situational leadership and effective communication, you can build committed teams that are ready to take on the challenges of a constantly changing working environment.