Burns Leadership Consulting
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Insights

Leadership Insights

 
“To add value to others, one must first value others.”
— John Maxwell

Leader Insights: Building Healthy Leadership Practices

Why This Matters

Strong leadership can elevate the performance of teams and organizations. And, at the same time, misconceptions about what makes a great leader often lead to stagnation and dysfunction.

Leadership is one of the most discussed concepts in organizational life. While strong leadership can elevate the performance of teams and organizations, misconceptions about what makes a great leader often lead to stagnation and dysfunction.

Recent research reveals pervasive "zombie" leadership myths—outdated ideas that stubbornly persist despite evidence to the contrary. These myths undermine organizational health, stifle innovation, and adversely impact productivity.

Common Leadership Myths

  • Leadership is all about the leader.

  • Great leaders have universal traits.

  • Leadership is inherently good.

A Framework for Healthy Leadership

Transforming leadership practices requires intentionality and alignment with team and organizational goals.

1. Distribute Leadership

  • Why It Works: Shared leadership taps into team expertise, reduces reliance on a single figure, and fosters ownership.

  • Try This: Rotate facilitation roles within your team or empower informal leaders to take charge of projects. This requires managers/leaders to delegate effectively.

2. Context Matters

  • Why It Works: Leadership that adapts to team needs, cultural dynamics, and situational demands drives better results.

  • Try This: Spend time understanding your team’s unique strengths, values, and challenges and align leadership practices accordingly.

3. Focus on Organizational Health

  • Why It Works: Healthy organizations are more productive, innovative, and resilient.

  • Try This: Foster psychological safety, align leadership with organizational values, and prioritize well-being.

4. Leverage Leader Coaching

  • Why It Works: Coaching enhances self-awareness, emotional intelligence, and decision-making. Leaders with coaching support are better equipped to navigate complexity.

  • Try This: Partner with a coach to refine your approach and align your leadership practices with organizational goals.

Why Healthy Leadership Matters

The link between leadership and organizational productivity is clear:

Engagement Fuels Results: Engaged leaders foster engaged teams, leading to improved performance.

Retention is Key: Strong leadership reduces costly turnover and builds loyalty.

Informed Decisions Win: Coaching supports strategic thinking, more durable decision-making, and long-term success.

Studies by Gallup reveal that engaged teams are 21% more productive, while coaching has demonstrated significant ROI, with 86% of organizations reporting measurable benefits.


Practical Actions for Leaders

Reflect and Challenge Assumptions: Identify outdated beliefs about leadership that may influence your approach.

Gather Feedback: Ask your team for honest input on your leadership practices.

Invest in Coaching: Work with a coach to enhance your leadership skills and build self-awareness.

Build Trust: Foster trust through transparent communication, fairness, and collaboration.

Leadership myths can hold us back, but they don’t have to. By embracing adaptive and sustainable leadership practices, you can create a thriving workplace where individuals and teams flourish.

References:

Haslam, S. A., Alvesson, M., & Reicher, S. D. (2024). Zombie Leadership: Dead Ideas That Still Walk Among Us.

Gallup, Inc. (2022). State of the Global Workplace.

Daniel Burns