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Collaboration

Leadership

Receiving, retaining and processing information

Transmitting information or ideas

Finding solutions to challenges

Using imagination and generating new ideas

Overcoming challenges and setbacks to achieve goals

Setting goals and designing routes to achieve them

Supporting, encouraging and motivating others to achieve a shared goal

Working cooperatively with others to achieve a shared goal

Identifying influence

Comparing views

Analysing views

Investigating bias

Strategic questioning

Evaluating perspectives

Communicating sensitively

Speaking engagingly

Adaptive communicating

Negotiating

Constructive communicating

Presenting

Inspiring others

Following instructions

Evaluating approaches

Continual learning

Imagining

Sharing imagination

Expressing imagination

Generating ideas

Suggesting improvements

Combining concepts

Identifying opportunities

Defining success

Flexible thinking

Reflecting critically

Facilitating creativity

Championing creativity

Improving performance

Practising resilience

Supporting resilience

Identifying successes

Working carefully

Recognising strengths

Understanding reactions

Sharing reactions

Recognising reactions

Facilitating discussions

Managing disagreements

Coaching

Motivating others

Emotional intelligence

Taking responsibility

Reflecting collectively

Learning collectively

Developing others

Improving culture

Step

Leading adaptively

I adapt my leadership style to the situation

Core ideas

What is meant by adapting leadership style to the situation

Different leadership styles are useful in different situations:

Leadership style	When better	When worse
Autocratic: The leader makes decisions alone and expects others to follow instructions.	When quick decisions are needed or in pressured situations.	When team input or creativity is important.
Bureaucratic: Leadership follows strict rules and procedures.	When strict rules must be followed.	When flexibility or innovation is needed.
Charismatic: The leader’s personality and energy encourage others to follow by inspiring and motivating them.	When energising the team is important.	When the leader’s personality overshadows.
Coaching: The leader focuses on developing individuals, helping them improve their skills and progress.	When personal development is needed.	When immediate results are necessary.
Democratic: Decisions are made with input from the group and might even be voted on before decisions are finalised.	When team collaboration or creativity is needed.	When quick decisions are required.
Hands-off (Laissez-faire): The leader gives people freedom to make their own decisions and take responsibility.	With experienced, self-motivated teams.	When people need more guidance or accountability.
Transactional: The leader sets clear rules and expectations, offering rewards and consequences.	When clear tasks and rewards are needed.	When motivation or creativity is required.
Transformational: The leader motivates and inspires people to achieve a shared vision.Text	When you need to inspire or drive change.	When the team needs structure and guidance.

Why effective leaders adapt their leadership style

Great leaders adjust their style to fit the situation and the team’s needs. By doing so, they:

Respond to team needs by offering the right guidance or support based on the task or challenge.
Improve decision-making by selecting the most appropriate style for the situation.
Boost motivation through the right approach—whether it’s encouraging, rewarding, or empowering.
Build trust by showing flexibility and consideration for others.

For example, a leader might use a transformational style for team-building and a transactional style when clear direction is needed for a task.

How to effectively adapt leadership style to the situation

To adapt effectively, follow these steps:

Assess the situation to decide which style suits the task and timeline.
Understand your team by knowing their strengths, weaknesses, and preferences.
Be flexible and adjust your style based on the team’s response or changing circumstances.
Communicate clearly to ensure the team understands expectations and reasoning.
Lead by example, demonstrating the behaviours you want to see in others.
Seek feedback to learn how your leadership is being received and make improvements.

For example, if your team is disengaged, a coaching style can offer support. If there’s a need for quick decisions, an autocratic style might be necessary.

By understanding your team’s needs and adjusting your style, you can become a more effective and responsive leader.

Assessment

Reflective questions for individuals can include:

What does it mean to adjust your leadership style to the situation?
Why is it important for advanced leaders to adapt their leadership style?
How can leaders adjust their leadership style for the setting?
When have you shown that you can adjust your leadership style to different situations and what was the impact?

Observation cues for trainers can include:

Is the individual able to adjust their leadership style to make it as effective as possible for the setting?

Evidence can include individuals’ self-reflections and observations from others.

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Skills Builder Hub

Access Hub

Skills Builder Hub is a complete platform for educators around the world to build their learners’ essential skills.

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Skills Builder Benchmark

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Skills Builder Benchmark allows individuals to discover their own essential skills.

It’s free to get started, and is used by individuals, employers, educators and NGOs across the world.

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Listening Step 1: Focusing

Listening Step 2: Recalling

Listening Step 3: Checking

Listening Step 4: Retelling

Listening Step 5: Recognising purpose

Listening Step 6: Note-taking