A global leadership study from researchers at Monash University and leading international institutions has revealed the key to effective leadership could be to 'keep it simple'.
The study's findings challenge the traditional approach of adopting trend-driven leadership frameworks, and show that effective leadership stems from strong leader-follower relationships, offering a simpler, more actionable path for leaders and organisations.
Published in the Journal of Management Studies, the study analysed 12 dominant leadership measures across 4,000 participants from five countries. It is one of the most comprehensive investigations to date of leadership style effectiveness and redundancy, providing critical insights for researchers, practitioners and organisations worldwide.
Associate Professor Nathan Eva from the Department of Management at Monash Business School, said the study revealed that many popular leadership styles, such as transformational, authentic and ethical leadership, share substantial overlap, questioning the need for fragmented style-specific frameworks.
“Our research demonstrates that leadership effectiveness is less about adopting a complex array of specific styles and more about fostering behaviours that build strong relationships with your team members,” Associate Professor Eva said.
“Our findings show that follower perceptions and affect toward their leader play a central role in determining leadership effectiveness. Leadership is as much about relationships as it is about behaviours.
“Rather than chasing the latest trend, organisations should focus on strengthening leaders’ existing behaviours that align with the organisations’ values and strategic goals. This approach not only simplifies leadership development but also ensures more consistent and meaningful outcomes.”
The study also calls for a shift in how leadership development is approached:
- For organisations: focus on building leadership behaviours that align with organisational values rather than adopting trend-driven styles.
- For leaders: build strong relationships with team members, such as prioritising trust and collaboration, to enhance team and organisational outcomes.
- For leadership consultants: simplify programs to focus on a small set of universal behaviours that drive measurable success.
Associate Professor Joshua Howard co-authored the study with Associate Professor Eva.
“These findings call for leadership researchers and practitioners to rethink leadership training and measures,” Dr Howard said.
“By focusing on the behaviours that matter, we can reduce complexity, improve outcomes, and foster more inclusive and resilient workplaces.
“This work pushes the field toward clarity and consolidation, ensuring leadership research and practice are more aligned and impactful.”
The study has implications for organisations globally, helping them rethink leadership development, streamline training programs, and ensure leaders are equipped with behaviours that matter most in driving success.
Read the full paper: Here
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