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Leadership style is no longer a matter for management schools. It's a concrete, observable posture that influences every exchange, every decision, every team dynamic. And in a context where reference points are changing - the hybridization of work, the quest for meaning, the need for psychological security, the urgency of performance - adopting the right style becomes a lever of direct impact.
But with so many different models to choose from - participative, transformational, collaborative, directive... - it's hard to find your way around. Should you decide quickly or co-construct? Support or frame? Inspire or listen? In reality, it's not a question of choosing a single style, but of learning to adjust one's posture, consciously, according to situations and people.
The manager's role no longer boils down to supervising a team or monitoring the execution of tasks. What is expected today is a clear, human posture, capable of combining vision and proximity, high standards and support. It's leadership that's more relational, more reflective, more agile too.
This transformation can be explained by changes in the world of work. Telecommuting has redefined notions of presence and control. Employees expect more listening, recognition and clarity. And issues of inclusion, balance and mental health can no longer be ignored in managerial practices.
In this context, it' s no longer enough to have "your style". You have to learn to adjust it. Knowing how to adapt your posture to the needs of the team, the moment, and the direction to take. In this way, leadership style becomes a real lever of impact, at the service of collective performance.
This style is based on a clear posture: the manager sets the course, defines the rules of the game and expects the team to execute rigorously. It is particularly useful in times of crisis, uncertainty or when the team lacks direction.
But beware: used by default, it can hinder autonomy, create dependency and demotivate over the long term. This style works if - and only if - it's accompanied by clarity and listening. Frame, yes. Infantilizing, no.
Here, the manager is not the sole decision-maker. He consults, listens and integrates opinions to build collective decisions. This approach fosters commitment, shared responsibility and intrinsic motivation. It is particularly effective in mature teams, in a context of transformation, or on subjects that require the support of the field. The risk? Falling into a limp consensus or slowing down action. Participative leadership requires real know-how: listening without giving up, deciding without being brutal.
This style doesn't just distribute the word. It aims to bring about genuine cooperation between team members - and even between teams. This means creating the right conditions for ideas to flow, tensions to be regulated, and expertise to cross-fertilize.
In concrete terms, this involves clear rituals, secure discussion forums and a facilitator's stance. The manager is no longer just the decision-maker: he is the one who orchestrates, connects and helps collective intelligence to grow.
In this posture, the manager puts himself at the service of the team. His or her role is to remove obstacles, promote talent and support skills development. This style works very well in organizations that give responsibility, or with autonomous employees.
But be careful not to confuse service with self-effacement. The service leader remains demanding: he sets a course, expects results, but actively supports those who come close.
Transformational leadership is expressed in phases of change. It is based on the ability to formulate a clear, motivating vision, and to lead teams towards a desirable future.
This style is particularly effective when there's a need for reinvention, projection or cultural change. But to work, it cannot remain at the level of ideas: it must be embodied in actions, decisions, a tangible course.
Often summed up as promoting diversity, this style goes much further. Inclusive leadership means creating an environment where everyone feels legitimate to contribute, question and decide - whatever their role, profile or background. It requires constant vigilance: for bias, for group dynamics, for silences that speak volumes. It's a posture that invites us to give a voice to those who rarely take it, to recognize invisible contributions, to value forms of expertise that are often neglected.
An inclusive leader does not seek to "please everyone", but to ensure fair conditions for expression.
It's perhaps the most useful today. Situational leadership is not a style in itself, but an ability to read a situation and adjust one's posture according to the context: employee autonomy, team maturity, current issues, temporality. This requires a reflective posture, courage and genuine flexibility. The manager becomes a strategic chameleon - without losing his or her integrity.
There is no universal recipe. But three guidelines can help you make the right adjustments.
A team in doubt needs a clear direction. An experienced team needs autonomy. A demotivated team needs recognition and a place to listen. The manager must learn to read these weak signals: unspoken words in meetings, the quality of exchanges, the level of spontaneous initiative.
Are we in a phase of crisis or stability? Hypergrowth or consolidation? Is it time to let go or, on the contrary, to tighten the framework?
A good leader does not rely on the same levers in the midst of restructuring as in a period of rapid innovation. Knowing how to read the context is just as important as knowing your team.
This enables you to adapt your management style, make the right decisions at the right time, and avoid creating unnecessary tension. To put it plainly: to manage without taking the environment into account is to run the risk of missing the essential.
What is my natural modus operandi? Do I tend to want to set a framework? To listen first? To inspire others? In what situations do I lose my balance or tense up?
Taking this time for introspection is essential. All too often neglected, it helps to avoid falling back into the same patterns when the context changes. It's also a way of better understanding the impact I have on others, and adjusting my reflexes when they no longer serve the situation.
By becoming aware of my patterns, I can gain greater accuracy, efficiency and serenity in my interactions.
Changing your posture doesn't mean denying who you are. It means testing, adjusting and refining. And it can start with simple gestures. For example, at the next team meeting, dare to ask an open-ended question rather than rolling out a ready-made plan. Or, on a 1:1 basis, ask a colleague to formulate his or her own priorities rather than imposing them. These repeated micro-changes bring about lasting changes in attitude.
Asking for feedback is another powerful lever. Not by issuing a quick "Is everything all right?" at the end of the meeting, but by opening up a real space for discussion: "What helps you in the way I manage the team? And what could be clearer or more useful for you?"
Finally, don't hesitate to use the tools at your disposal. Training, coaching and models such as DISC or CNV offer invaluable keys to breaking out of autopilot and broadening one's register. These are all resources for anchoring your managerial choices in a lucid, responsible and sustainable posture.
There is no perfect leadership style. There are just the right postures, here and now. The real challenge is not to choose a model and stick to it for life. It's about learning to adjust, to listen, to evolve your way of doing things. This is a skill in its own right: knowing how to manage according to the issues, the team and the moment.
Leadership style is no longer a matter for management schools. It's a concrete, observable posture that influences every exchange, every decision, every team dynamic. And in a context where reference points are changing - the hybridization of work, the quest for meaning, the need for psychological security, the urgency of performance - adopting the right style becomes a lever of direct impact.
But with so many different models to choose from - participative, transformational, collaborative, directive... - it's hard to find your way around. Should you decide quickly or co-construct? Support or frame? Inspire or listen? In reality, it's not a question of choosing a single style, but of learning to adjust one's posture, consciously, according to situations and people.
The manager's role no longer boils down to supervising a team or monitoring the execution of tasks. What is expected today is a clear, human posture, capable of combining vision and proximity, high standards and support. It's leadership that's more relational, more reflective, more agile too.
This transformation can be explained by changes in the world of work. Telecommuting has redefined notions of presence and control. Employees expect more listening, recognition and clarity. And issues of inclusion, balance and mental health can no longer be ignored in managerial practices.
In this context, it' s no longer enough to have "your style". You have to learn to adjust it. Knowing how to adapt your posture to the needs of the team, the moment, and the direction to take. In this way, leadership style becomes a real lever of impact, at the service of collective performance.
This style is based on a clear posture: the manager sets the course, defines the rules of the game and expects the team to execute rigorously. It is particularly useful in times of crisis, uncertainty or when the team lacks direction.
But beware: used by default, it can hinder autonomy, create dependency and demotivate over the long term. This style works if - and only if - it's accompanied by clarity and listening. Frame, yes. Infantilizing, no.
Here, the manager is not the sole decision-maker. He consults, listens and integrates opinions to build collective decisions. This approach fosters commitment, shared responsibility and intrinsic motivation. It is particularly effective in mature teams, in a context of transformation, or on subjects that require the support of the field. The risk? Falling into a limp consensus or slowing down action. Participative leadership requires real know-how: listening without giving up, deciding without being brutal.
This style doesn't just distribute the word. It aims to bring about genuine cooperation between team members - and even between teams. This means creating the right conditions for ideas to flow, tensions to be regulated, and expertise to cross-fertilize.
In concrete terms, this involves clear rituals, secure discussion forums and a facilitator's stance. The manager is no longer just the decision-maker: he is the one who orchestrates, connects and helps collective intelligence to grow.
In this posture, the manager puts himself at the service of the team. His or her role is to remove obstacles, promote talent and support skills development. This style works very well in organizations that give responsibility, or with autonomous employees.
But be careful not to confuse service with self-effacement. The service leader remains demanding: he sets a course, expects results, but actively supports those who come close.
Transformational leadership is expressed in phases of change. It is based on the ability to formulate a clear, motivating vision, and to lead teams towards a desirable future.
This style is particularly effective when there's a need for reinvention, projection or cultural change. But to work, it cannot remain at the level of ideas: it must be embodied in actions, decisions, a tangible course.
Often summed up as promoting diversity, this style goes much further. Inclusive leadership means creating an environment where everyone feels legitimate to contribute, question and decide - whatever their role, profile or background. It requires constant vigilance: for bias, for group dynamics, for silences that speak volumes. It's a posture that invites us to give a voice to those who rarely take it, to recognize invisible contributions, to value forms of expertise that are often neglected.
An inclusive leader does not seek to "please everyone", but to ensure fair conditions for expression.
It's perhaps the most useful today. Situational leadership is not a style in itself, but an ability to read a situation and adjust one's posture according to the context: employee autonomy, team maturity, current issues, temporality. This requires a reflective posture, courage and genuine flexibility. The manager becomes a strategic chameleon - without losing his or her integrity.
There is no universal recipe. But three guidelines can help you make the right adjustments.
A team in doubt needs a clear direction. An experienced team needs autonomy. A demotivated team needs recognition and a place to listen. The manager must learn to read these weak signals: unspoken words in meetings, the quality of exchanges, the level of spontaneous initiative.
Are we in a phase of crisis or stability? Hypergrowth or consolidation? Is it time to let go or, on the contrary, to tighten the framework?
A good leader does not rely on the same levers in the midst of restructuring as in a period of rapid innovation. Knowing how to read the context is just as important as knowing your team.
This enables you to adapt your management style, make the right decisions at the right time, and avoid creating unnecessary tension. To put it plainly: to manage without taking the environment into account is to run the risk of missing the essential.
What is my natural modus operandi? Do I tend to want to set a framework? To listen first? To inspire others? In what situations do I lose my balance or tense up?
Taking this time for introspection is essential. All too often neglected, it helps to avoid falling back into the same patterns when the context changes. It's also a way of better understanding the impact I have on others, and adjusting my reflexes when they no longer serve the situation.
By becoming aware of my patterns, I can gain greater accuracy, efficiency and serenity in my interactions.
Changing your posture doesn't mean denying who you are. It means testing, adjusting and refining. And it can start with simple gestures. For example, at the next team meeting, dare to ask an open-ended question rather than rolling out a ready-made plan. Or, on a 1:1 basis, ask a colleague to formulate his or her own priorities rather than imposing them. These repeated micro-changes bring about lasting changes in attitude.
Asking for feedback is another powerful lever. Not by issuing a quick "Is everything all right?" at the end of the meeting, but by opening up a real space for discussion: "What helps you in the way I manage the team? And what could be clearer or more useful for you?"
Finally, don't hesitate to use the tools at your disposal. Training, coaching and models such as DISC or CNV offer invaluable keys to breaking out of autopilot and broadening one's register. These are all resources for anchoring your managerial choices in a lucid, responsible and sustainable posture.
There is no perfect leadership style. There are just the right postures, here and now. The real challenge is not to choose a model and stick to it for life. It's about learning to adjust, to listen, to evolve your way of doing things. This is a skill in its own right: knowing how to manage according to the issues, the team and the moment.
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