Are you leading with intent?

Over our careers, we’ve observed several types of leaders and had the opportunity to look at what works – and of course what doesn’t.

Google ‘leadership styles’ and you’ll be overwhelmed with the amount of hits that come back. The classic view is that of Kurt Lewin, developed in the 1930s. His model expresses three distinct styles; autocratic, democratic and laissez-faire. As you can imagine, the styles all reflect varying levels of authoritarianism, with autocratic leaders making all the decisions themselves, democratic leaders making decisions with their teams, and laissez-faire leaders allowing the team to make their own decisions.

Over time, Lewin’s model has been evolved and added to – we now see styles like transformational, transactional, situational, coaching, pacesetting, bureaucratic, affiliative, servant, and charismatic alongside the original three.

We think it’s all getting a bit too confusing, and anyway, it feels impossible for us to categorise ourselves into just one or two styles. Good leaders flex their styles to meet the requirements of the situation they find themselves in – they’re chameleons that alter their state depending on where they are, who they’re with, and what they’re trying to achieve.

We’ve recently talked to lots of leaders, CHROs and other HR professionals about what they think makes a great leader. As you can imagine, views vary, but a consistent theme we’ve heard is that great leaders come in all shapes and sizes and behave in several different ways. The reasons for these differences are complex, and rooted in each person’s genetics, upbringing, and experiences. Having leaders with diverse preferences and approaches is fantastic, but we’d also like to understand what they have in common that makes them so special.

Introducing intentional leadership

Great leaders, like great teams and great organisations, don’t happen by accident. That’s why we believe that the best leaders lead with intent. But what do we mean by that?

In a nutshell, in leading with intent, the leader recognises their role and holds their effectiveness in leading their teams in the highest regard. They recognise their privilege, and they believe that every interaction and move they make carries impact and importance. They are role models, they’re assertive, they’re vulnerable, and they put their teams first. They don’t lead by accident.

Would you like to become a more intentional leader? At HEX, we’ve developed a programme to help organisations and individuals become more intentional, and with it add value to their businesses and build their own success. You can find out more about our Intentional Leader Programme here. We’d love you along for the ride, and to hear your thoughts and feedback.