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Styles and Climate

Leadership Styles and Organisational Climate

Today’s leaders must adapt their leadership styles to fit a constantly evolving business environment. As challenges grow, the rewards for effective leadership are greater than ever.

Leaders deal with many complex issues including social and political change, rapid technology advancements and generational diversity. At the same time, they need to create workplaces where their people can perform at their best.

For example, agile teams do well under visionary and transformational leaders. Inclusive workplaces need leaders who empower diverse voices. Global operations require leaders who are culturally sensitive and collaborative.

So, how can leaders develop the flexibility to handle a range of different situations and tasks?

What Are Leadership Styles?

The various approaches and actions leaders take to guide, motive, and manage their teams are known as leadership styles. Research has revealed that the six most commonly used leadership styles are Directive, Visionary, Affiliative, Participative, Pacesetting, and Coaching. It has also been found that leaders tend to gravitate towards one or two leadership styles that feel most natural to them.

Their preferences result from their personal values, traits, motivations, self-perceptions, and the situations they face. In simple terms, a leader’s behaviour is a mix of who they are and the context in which they operate.

However, the best leaders know how to adjust their style based on their desired impact, rather than personal preferences. By considering their team’s goals and the individuals involved, they select the leadership style, or combination of styles, that will most effectively energise and engage their team.

Observing situational and group dynamics allows these leaders to quickly and seamlessly adapt their style to suit both their team and the task at hand. This flexibility ensures that their actions support their intent, which has a positive and constructive impact on their team members.

In some situations, leaders find themselves asking whey their best-intended initiatives fall short? Our latest blog post explores the crucial gap between leadership intent and actual impact – and how to bridge it successfully.

For strategies on how to bridge the gap between intent and impact, read, Leading with Purpose: From Intent to Impact with 4 Strategies for Success.

What Is Organisational Climate?

Organisational climate refers to aspects of the workplace environment that executives, managers and team leaders can create for the people they lead. It plays a key role in determining how their people perceive their work environment and perform their tasks.

Korn Ferry’s research has identified six key dimensions of organisational climate: Flexibility, Responsibility, Standards, Rewards, Clarity and Team Commitment. These dimensions have been shown to directly influence individual engagement, discretionary effort and overall performance.

A leader’s style significantly influences the climate their team experiences. In positive climates, teams go the extra mile, exceeding expectations and driving stronger bottom-line results.

Climate should not be confused with culture which refers to the broader values, norms, and beliefs that shape the organisation. Climate is more localised, reflecting the immediate experience of working for a specific leader at a particular time.

If culture is thought of as the organisation’s atmosphere; climate is the local “weather” experienced within that atmosphere.

What Is The Korn Ferry Leadership Styles And Climate Survey?

The Korn Ferry Leadership Styles and Climate Survey is an assessment and feedback system that evaluates two key measures of leadership effectiveness – the behavioural styles a leader uses and the impact they have on team performance.

It consists of two 180-degree online surveys, each taking about 15 minutes to complete, possibly longer if raters add many written comments.

Participants rate themselves and are rated by the people they lead to give them feedback on their leadership style and the organisational climate they are creating.

Two detailed reports offer clear information on the participant’s intent as a leader and their impact on their team so they can address any gaps.

A qualified and experienced leadership coach delivers their feedback, exploring with them the steps in building a practical and achievable development plan.

The results give leaders valuable insights into optimising their leadership by flexing their style and creating the conditions for their teams to succeed.

FAQs

While often used interchangeably, the words climate and culture represent two distinct aspects of an environment, particularly within an organisational context. Think of it this way:

  • Climate is like the weather – it’s the immediate atmosphere and how people feel. It’s tangible, quick to change, and influenced by leadership, communication, workload, and mood. You can gauge it through daily interactions and feedback.
  • Culture is like the seasons – the deeper, enduring values, beliefs, and assumptions that shape long-term behaviour. It’s abstract, resistant to change, and ingrained in the organisation’s history, traditions and unspoken norms.

Understanding this distinction is crucial, especially in leadership. While leaders can directly impact the climate through their actions and communication, shaping the culture requires a more sustained and strategic effort to influence underlying values and beliefs.

A manager’s leadership style directly influences workplace climate, a critical factor for organisational success. Supportive leadership builds trust and motivates employees, while autocratic leadership creates tension and stifles creativity. 

A skilled leader cultivates an environment that encourages innovation, growth, and alignment with organisational goals. This synergy boosts employee engagement, team cohesion, and contributes to overall success.

Your Korn Ferry Styles and Climate report thoroughly evaluates your leadership styles and their effects on team performance, providing you with valuable feedback and insights to enhance your effectiveness.

The report uncovers how effectively you tailor your leadership approach to suit different team members, situations, and organisational objectives. Ultimately, it delivers actionable recommendations to enable you to refine your leadership, build high-performing teams, and cultivate a positive, productive work environment that empowers your people to excel.

Learn more about Leadership Styles and Climate.