Supportive Leadership Styles

The most frustrating moment in my work is watching a brilliant leader lose their team not because they don’t care, but because they refuse to adapt. “I’ve always led this way.” “I just expect people to step up.” - leaders tell me and they mean well. But people aren’t machines. You can’t plug the same leadership approach into every person and expect power to flow. Just like traveling between countries, you need different adapters. And in leadership, those adapters are built on empathy, flexibility, and science-backed awareness of human behavior. 🔍 In theory, this is what Situational Leadership captures. Introduced by Hersey & Blanchard in 1969 and validated by decades of follow-up research, it showed that matching leadership behavior to the employee's needs leads to better motivation, learning, and performance. But here’s the nuance many miss: ❌ It’s not just about toggling between “directive” and “supportive.” ✅ It’s about building the diagnostic capacity to read people emotionally, contextually, and developmentally. And when combined with psychological safety (Edmondson, 1999), this adaptive leadership creates the conditions where people feel safe to contribute, challenge, and learn. In practice, I see this when leaders learn to carry the right “adapter”: 🔌 Structure: when someone is overwhelmed and needs clarity 🔌 Empathy: when someone is disengaged but no one has asked why 🔌 Challenge: when someone is ready for more but hasn’t been stretched 🔌 Listening: when someone has a voice but not yet a safe space 🔌 Autonomy: when someone is thriving and needs room to fly And in the end, it’s not the "best' leadership style that builds best teams. It’s the most responsive one. And being responsive also means being inclusive. P.S. What “adapter” do you find yourself using most as a leader? --------------------------------- 👋 New here? Welcome! I'm Susanna. I help organizations with high-performing, inclusive leadership and culture by fostering psychological safety.

I am regularly asked this question: What are some practical ways you can help quieter people speak up in meetings, and draw out their valuable contributions? It’s an important question, because there are many reasons why people may not speak up. It is dangerous to assume that they have nothing to contribute. Some may feel that it’s rude to interrupt, feel anxious when under pressure to think on the spot, are unable to find a gap in a group of louder people, or have some other reason to not speak up. If you are a leader or chairing a discussion, there are things you can do to ensure quieter voices are heard. Here are three practical things that you can do at your next meeting: 1 Inform people of the discussion topic ahead of time. Quieter people can feel anxious and freeze up when put up on the spot. They may need time to think through things before sharing them. Providing background material beforehand allows them to be ready to share during the meeting. It is very likely their ideas will be well thought through and valuable. 2. Actively create space, especially if others are noisy. Quiet people can struggle to interrupt - they may feel it's impolite, need more time to interject, or their quieter voices may be drowned out. You can come up with a pre-arranged signal that people can use if they want to say something - such as a raised hand - and invite them to talk. You can also keep track of who has talked and who hasn’t, and invite anyone who hasn’t talked to do so. 3. Invite people to share things with you after the meeting. Just as quieter people may need time to assemble their thoughts before a meeting, they may think about things that were raised during the meeting, and have even more to contribute after reflecting. Invite people to talk to you some time afterwards. Then in the next meeting, bring up their contribution and invite them to share further. These three strategies are not overly time consuming, nor do they take much effort. However, they can have a significant impact on your quieter people feeling heard and included, and on how much value your organisation gains from their contribution. The ability to create space for quieter voices is an important inclusive leadership skill. Noticing and inviting quieter voices will likely add diverse perspectives to your discussions. How consciously do you create space for quieter people to be heard? #inclusion #listeningskills #management #inclusiveleadership #diversityandinclusion

Kindness in leadership isn't just about being nice. It's about unlocking potential. I've learned that many workplaces underestimate their people, leading to a culture of fear and dependency. But when given space and support, amazing things happen. It starts with creating a relaxed, open environment where everyone feels comfortable contributing, even if their ideas are a little rough around the edges. You have to recognize the hidden value in each individual, even when it's not immediately obvious. Sometimes, I see someone struggling and think, "Why haven't you done this?" But I remind myself it's often the environment holding them back, not a lack of ability. That's why I try to be kind, patient, and genuinely interested in my team's input. Even if an idea isn't perfect, I look for the spark of brilliance within it. Kindness isn't about being a pushover; it's about recognizing the humanity in everyone. It’s about creating a workplace where people feel safe to learn, grow, and contribute their best. Remember, the more we invest in our people, the more they'll invest in us.

Teams led by Servant Leaders show up with 6x more commitment (Gallup) ❌ Outdated Playbook → Top-down orders. → Control masked as clarity. → Success that drains the spirit ✅ Modern Leadership Reset → Listen with intent. → Serve with strength. → Build beyond ego. And this isn’t just philosophy - it’s research-backed: → Servant-led cultures inspire more trust and boost performance. → Traditional leaders last 4.2 years on average. Servant Leaders? 11.5 Years (Stanford study) Because power over people is fleeting. But power with people? That’s legacy work. Here is your Servant Leadership Framework: 🌱 Start with listening intelligence: → 10-min daily team syncs - listen for tone, not just tasks. → End meetings with, “What do you need most right now?” → Use silence as a leadership tool. 🌱 Grow your people before your metrics: → Assign stretch projects paired with reflection rituals. → Build personalized growth maps (not just KPIs). → Create space for failure without fear. 🌱 Lead from the back, not the front: → Share credit. Absorb heat. → Spotlight small wins weekly. → Keep a "Team Wins" wall (physical or virtual). 🌱 Clear roadblocks, not just give direction: → Audit your calendar - what can you remove for them? → Replace hierarchy with access. → Create “autonomy lanes” where decisions don’t wait for approval. 🌱Model transparency, not perfection: → Open up strategic decisions to feedback. → Share behind-the-scenes thinking. → Invite reverse mentoring. Leadership isn’t a title. It’s a conscious choice - made daily - to serve. And the return? → Resilient teams. → Regenerative cultures. → Results that endure. So let me ask you: What’s one way in which you or leaders you know role-model servant leadership? ⬇️ ♻️ Repost to rehumanize leadership. 🔔 Follow Bhavna Toor for more on Conscious Leadership

In these times of heightened uncertainty and emergence of imperatives like decarbonization, organizations need inclusive leaders who are more trustworthy, and possess higher levels of empathy and cultural/ generational intelligence. These traits are key to drive collaboration, commitment and curiosity, which are all keys to innovation and transformation. No organization can sustain its success if it does not have the best talent in every role. As the younger generation starts to account for a higher chunk of the workforce, the traits exhibited by inclusive leaders will be even more valuable. Inclusive leadership truly works! I am still evolving as an inclusive leader, and would like to believe I have made progress. From my own experience, I know that it is a powerful paradigm that is worth practising. At LS International, I regularly hire people from countries as diverse as Spain, Mexico, Honduras, India and Canada to provide us various services. Based on my interactions with them, I have realized that people are only looking to be understood. If you listen to them, exchange experiences and learnings- and even fears and vulnerabilities- the risk of misunderstandings reduces sharply. As human beings, there are more things in common than there are differences- if we are sensitive. P&G’s Geraldine Huse says it so well: “Accessing diverse points of view is vital in creating optimum strategies and plans. An inclusive leader creates an environment where disagreement is viewed positively. I have learned from experience that the more diverse the team, the more debate and disagreement we have and the better the outcome”. She adds, “Listening to people, understanding and solving problems collectively, taking advantage of all the diverse experience – this is what makes an inclusive leader successful”. What is the one thing that you will start doing differently to be more inclusive? Starting 2024, I have resolved to practise inclusive leadership by design. I consciously let every team member, no matter how new or junior, express their views in every internal meeting. If they seem hesitant, I encourage them to share their views, and gently probe to find out why they feel a certain way when their views differ from mine. We are already seeing benefits in terms of higher energy, enthusiasm, confidence, and accountability. These are positively shaping how we work and even outcomes. I invite you to make a commitment to yourself to become a more inclusive leader. Think about what you can do differently to move you further along the path to being a more inclusive leader. It is said that publicly sharing resolutions put more pressure on us to stick with them. I have taken the plunge, and would be delighted if your comment includes a sentence or two on how you plan to become an inclusive leader. Thanks in advance, and good luck with your personal transformation!

Enable People to Work at Their Best: Trust, Freedom and Getting Out of the Way What makes great management? We often answer with “communication” or “vision”. Useful—yes. But when people describe the moments they did their very best work, they were trusted with a clear outcome and given the freedom to find their own way. I’ve seen it again and again. Tom Tribone discovered his latex plant produced twice as much at weekends. The difference? Fewer managers “helping.” When he stopped interfering and simply shared what customers needed, output surged. One practical habit that changes cultures fast: pre-approval. Don’t ask teams to bring you a proposal “for sign-off.” Give the goal, constraints, budget and affected stakeholders—then pre-approve implementation. When we did this at Happy, a receptionist redesigned our welcome space and a café colleague iterated new ideas—no committees, just learning in action. Our website was pre-approved to a colleague with clear parameters; the first time I saw the design was two days before launch. Results followed because ownership lived with the people doing the work. It also means stepping out of approval loops. In one campaign organisation, leaders replaced multi-layer sign-offs with clarity, training and accountability. Morale rose, speed increased, and quality improved because ownership was trusted. Here’s the paradox most “clever” managers discover (often the hard way): your value isn’t in having the answers; it’s in creating the conditions. When I polled 400 professionals, 68% said they’d rather have a supportive manager than an “effective” one. Support multiplies everyone’s effectiveness. As one member of the audience added: ‘If they support us well enough, it doesn’t matter how effective they are. We will cover for them when they get things wrong.’ Try this, this week: 😊Pre-approve one team to solve a real problem, with clear guidelines. Reflection: When did you do your best work—and how much trust and freedom did you have? Are you giving your people the same? What would be different if you did? This is from the 1st chapter of the Happy Manifesto. I’m giving away free copies of my physical book — and I’d love you to have one.

𝐊𝐢𝐧𝐝𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬: 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐒𝐢𝐥𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐒𝐭𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐠𝐭𝐡 𝐨𝐟 𝐋𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫��𝐡𝐢𝐩 During one of my workshops with a group of entrepreneurs, a participant shared an intriguing challenge. Their company was facing high attrition rates despite offering competitive salaries and benefits. As I probed deeper, the underlying issue became clear—employees felt undervalued, unseen, and unheard. It struck me that what the team needed wasn’t another strategy or monetary incentive—it was a culture of kindness. Together, we worked on introducing small but impactful changes: active listening during team meetings, regular check-ins to understand personal challenges, and creating moments to celebrate individual contributions. Over time, these simple acts transformed the workplace. Employees stayed not because of paycheques but because they felt respected and cared for. Productivity soared, and so did trust. Kindness is often mistaken as softness, but in leadership, it is a silent strength. It is about seeing the person behind the professional, recognising their efforts, and offering support without expecting anything in return. It is not a strategy or a tool—it is a way of being. When leaders practise kindness authentically, they build organisations that thrive, not just in performance but in connection. Because at the end of the day, people remember how you made them feel far more than what you said or did. How do you infuse kindness into your leadership journey? #leadership #mindset #culture #kindness #empathy #success

What needs to be said and how you say it, that’s where leadership is forged. Early in my career, I avoided hard conversations because I didn’t want to hurt anyone. So I softened the message until it lost all meaning. Later, I watched others do the opposite, deliver feedback like a punch in the gut. Truthful? Yes. Helpful? Not really. Because the person would shut down. Then I came across Radical Candor by Kim Scott, and it clicked. The goal isn’t to be nice or to be brutal. The goal is to be honest and kind at the same time. Here’s what I practice now when something tough needs to be said: 1. Be direct. Clarity is kindness. Don’t leave them guessing. “You’ve missed the deadline three times this quarter.” 2. Explain the impact. Help them see the bigger picture. “This affects how the whole team functions.” 3. Show you care. Say it because you want them to succeed, not because you want to win. “I believe in you. That’s why I’m bringing this up.” 4. Create a safe space for dialogue. This isn’t a lecture. It’s a conversation. “What’s getting in the way? How can I help?” I believe Radical Candor is not about sugarcoating or being harsh.   It’s about caring personally while challenging directly.   This leadership skill builds trust, drives growth, and keeps teams motivated. So the next time you're holding back, ask yourself: "Am I being kind by avoiding this? Or just comfortable?" #Leadership #RadicalCandor #BusinessCoach #EmotionalIntelligence 

Beware of your pronouns No, this isn’t a post about what you call yourself. This is a short comment about your impression on others. About 35 years ago, I was a young captain attending a meeting where units briefed our higher commander on their training plans. The leader of a sister unit got up to speak and it seemed like every other word out of his mouth was “I,” “me,” or “my,” especially when referring to wins or accomplishments: “I did this” or “I did that” or “my battalion won this great competition.” The only time he used inclusive words, such as “we,” “us,” or “our” was when he referred to failures, such as “we dropped the ball on this one.” I almost can’t describe how off-putting it was to me. Here was a leader who wanted to take credit for all the successes but shift the blame for failures to others. I don’t know if he honestly felt that way, or if somebody along his path had coached him to use that style. Regardless, it fell flat and I was sure as hell glad that he was not my commander. The next time you owe your boss an update, consider using the opposite approach: “Our team did a great job on this project, but I dropped the ball on missing a key deadline.” See the difference? One impact of using such a style is that you appear a heck of a lot less arrogant to others. The more important effect is that when you routinely use inclusive words to highlight successes and personal pronouns to describe shortcomings, you assume responsibility for results, even poor ones. The assumption of responsibility tends to create better results, which is a win for the entire team. Your use of pronouns leads others to gain an impression and make assumptions about what kind of leader you are. Overuse of the personal pronouns of I, me and my can make you sound sound selfish and even narcissistic. Work instead on using inclusive words like we, us, and our. People don’t like to follow somebody who is in it only for themselves. Leadership is a team sport. Enjoy your leadership journey! #leadershipdevelopment #leadershipadvice #businessstrategies #leadershipskills

This is easier said than done. “Help others rise” sounds noble. Until you realise most leaders are rewarded for the opposite. You get promoted for having answers. For being needed. For being the centre. So if you truly build people who don’t need you… you quietly remove your own leverage. That’s the tension no one talks about. Here’s how to actually do it anyway: 1. Stop answering first When someone brings you a problem, don’t solve it. Ask: “What do you think we should do?” Then wait. Let the silence do its work. You’re not testing them. You’re training their thinking. 2. Give away decisions before you feel ready Most leaders wait until it’s “safe” to delegate. Too late. Pick 1 decision this week you would normally own. Hand it over fully. Not input. Not approval. Ownership. Expect discomfort. That’s the point. 3. Make your thinking visible People can’t rise if your decision-making is a black box. Narrate your process: “Here’s what I’m weighing.” “Here’s what I might be wrong about.” Now they can learn how to think, not just what to do. 4. Reward judgment, not just outcomes If someone takes ownership and it goes wrong, don’t punish the miss. Interrogate the thinking: Was it sound? Was it considered? If yes, celebrate it. Otherwise, you train people to stay small and safe. 5. Design yourself out of the system Take one recurring meeting or approval you own. Remove yourself. Replace it with a simple rule: “If X happens, you decide. If Y happens, escalate.” If things break, good. Now the system is learning, not just you. Leadership isn’t lifting people up. It’s removing yourself as the bottleneck. That’s where it gets real. What’s one decision you’re still holding onto… that your team should already own? 🔔 Follow Si Conroy and ♻️ Share if you agree with this. 📩 Weekly sanity in my ‘Founder Group Therapy’ newsletter: https://lnkd.in/erk_vfQc