Today’s key leadership question is not “What’s the right way to lead?”

Instead, more fitting to the times in which we live, we must ask: “What does our situation require?”, “Who can fill any gaps?”, and “What are the implications for the organization and its people?”

Leadership is no longer about fixed styles or traits. It’s about flexibility and responding to what’s happening around us.

HR must help shift thinking away from outdated leadership models and towards more adaptive, responsive approaches.

Why context matters more than style

There is no single ideal leadership style. What works in one setting, such as a fast-growing tech start-up, may fail in another, like a long-established regulated business.

Many organizations still rely on the idea of the ‘ideal leader’, but this approach belongs to a more predictable past-it served us well, providing clear development pathways and career certainties.

But the future needs a fresh approach. Periodically examine what each part of the business needs.

This means asking: Are we hiring and developing leaders who can take us forward?

Are we recognizing the differences between departments, cultures, and stages of organizational growth?

An alert leadership depends on having a clear and up-to-date view of context.

In this way, a more adaptive approach to leadership pays off.

Five principles of adaptive leadership

Context shapes leadership: Leaders must first understand the situation they are in before choosing how to act. HR should support this by encouraging flexible thinking and situational awareness.

Culture matters: Leadership success depends heavily on organizational culture. HR must hire and develop leaders who either slot well into the culture or can challenge it in constructive ways.

Strong teams beat hero leaders: The organizations fit for the future build leadership teams with a mix of strengths. HR should focus on team balance rather than relying on single individuals.

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