Leaders are constantly faced with new and changing situations, so leader who are able to be flexible in their leadership are invaluable. “Flexible leadership” is not a single leadership style; instead, it refers to a leader’s ability to adjust their approach to the situation at hand.
For example, a flexible leader might use a hands-on, authoritative leadership style when they are training their team how to use new software, but later use a more participative style when they are brainstorming ideas for a new product. Flexible leaders seek to understand and use the leadership style that works best in a given situation.
This doesn’t mean that flexible leader’s can’t have a preferred leadership style. Instead, it means that a leader develops a range of skills and styles that they can pull from when needed.
In addition to helping leaders successfully navigate many different situations, flexible leadership also helps leaders to build strong connections with their team members. Everyone has a preferred communication and work style, and flexible leaders pay attention and act on their team members preferences, building trust and understanding.
There are some common problems leaders can encounter when they attempt to increase the flexibility of their leadership style. First, flexible leadership takes time and practice to master, which can feel daunting to leaders who are trying to be as efficient as possible. The good news is that, like any skill, it gets easier and better with practice.
Second, team members who haven’t experienced a flexible leadership style before may be confused by it. Leaders can avoid this situation by explaining to their team members why they are using a certain leadership style in a particular situation. For example, a leader giving one of their employees a project might say, “I know you have a lot of experience in this area and gotten consistent results, so I am going to be mostly hands off on this project. However, I am always available for input and guidance if you need me.”
In our next post, we are going to look at how to incorporate more flexible practices into your leadership.
Chew On This:
How might your team benefit from a flexible leader?