The Power of Leadership

Have you ever noticed that your favorite sports team, a company you've worked for, or a business in your city or town seems to be struggling and repeating the same mistakes over and over again? People are not motivated, there is a great deal of turnover, and morale is low. Employees, players, or students are always unhappy and complaining, and they seem to improve magically once they go elsewhere. As I have often said regarding some of the sports teams I root for, no matter who's playing or who's coaching, the results always seem to be the same—and those results are disappointing.

What is the problem here? is a question many people likely find themselves asking in these kinds of situations. Is it something in the water? Is the place just simply cursed?

The answer is often quite simple. The leadership in the organization is poor, disorganized, or ineffective. There is a saying that a group takes on the personality of its leader. And that saying is often true. Alex Haslam and Naomi Ellemers (2010), in their work on organizational identity and leadership, argue that leaders and the groups they lead tend to mirror one another—and in cases where this is not true, the group will likely reject the leader. When a group of employees, players, or students "buys into" the strategies and techniques that the boss, coach, or teacher is using, the result is usually a highly effective organization. When the group does not buy in, the leader will seem weak, ineffective, or frustrated.

Another important theoretical perspective on leadership is the self-determination theory, introduced by Ed Deci and Rich Ryan (2008). Broadly, this theory puts forth three basic human needs: autonomy, relatedness, and competence. Autonomy refers to someone being the "captain of their own ship" and feeling in control of their life course and decisions. Relatedness refers to maintaining meaningful and satisfying relationships with other people. Competence refers to feeling as though one is accomplished and successful. Satisfying these three needs, according to Deci and Ryan, leads to intrinsic motivation, where people enjoy and find meaning in the activities they engage in.

The implications of self-determination theory for leadership are massive. Effective leaders are those who support autonomy among their followers, encourage them to connect meaningfully with others, and praise their accomplishments. Sarmah et al. (2022) found that autonomy-supportive bosses—those who help their employees meet their basic human needs—often get the most out of their employees. Controlling bosses—those who tell their employees, "This is what we're doing" and "It's my way or the highway"—often are far less effective. Employees may follow the rules while they are being watched, but they tend not to be invested in their work. This lack of investment then translates into less-than-optimal output and performance. Organizations led by these kinds of bosses tend to have a lot of turnover, with people constantly coming and going.

So, how does one go about being an effective leader? Here are some tips.

1. Ask for input and take it seriously. Asking people what they think and incorporating their ideas into the decisions that are reached communicates that they are valuable and important. In turn, feeling valued and important helps people become intrinsically motivated in their work. As I told my class last week, if you meet people's basic psychological needs, they will run through walls for you.

2. Encourage people to work together and connect with people who have similar interests. If people enjoy working with their teammates, coworkers, or classmates, they will look forward to their work. If you connect people whose goals and interests are similar, they will thank you for it and be more likely to want to follow your lead.

3. Praise people often. As the old saying goes, you should praise 8-10 times for every time you criticize someone. The praise should be effusive, and the criticism should be gentle. Strengths should be accentuated, and weaknesses should be communicated honestly but in a way that emphasizes how they can be addressed. When someone does something you like, let them, and everyone else, know how proud you are of them.

4. Follow your own rules. As Haslam and Ellemers (2010) noted, leaders need to be emblematic of the groups they are leading. If you set a rule, you need to follow it. If everyone needs to be in the office at 8 a.m., then you should be there as well. If social media is not allowed at work, then that applies to you as well. People will follow what you do more than what you say.

5. Admit when you are wrong. We are all human, and no one is perfect. Everyone makes mistakes. There is no shame in saying you're sorry or that someone else is right. People you are leading will be honored and happy when you apologize to them. And if someone else is apologizing to you, accept it generously and help them to learn how to avoid repeating the mistake.

Leadership Essential Reads

Why High-Potential Women Are Ambivalent About Leadership

Why Well-Being Is Foundational to Leading at Your Best

6. Be confident but not arrogant. You should model quiet self-assurance for your followers, where you are confident in your decisions but not full of yourself. True confidence is quiet and does not need to brag or boast. A truly confident person is free to give away credit to others. If you model this behavior for your followers, you will be very pleased with the results.

7. Collaborate with your followers. As I tell the people in my research lab, I am just another lab member. I am no smarter or more special than anyone else in the lab. A saying I like is, "I am ahead of you, but I am not above you." Invite your players, employees, or students to work closely with you on projects or other endeavors. Treat them as equals because they are equals.

To end, I'd like you to picture two bosses, Boss A and Boss B. Boss A treats her employees as equals, solicits their input, and acts like just another member of the organization. She explains her decisions clearly and answers questions that her employees ask her. Boss B, on the other hand, tells his employees that they work for him and that his decisions are final. He criticizes people who break his rules, and he has little patience for disagreement. He always has to be right and rarely apologizes, even when he is wrong.

Which boss would you rather work for? And can you see how employees will run through walls for Boss A but will run away from Boss B?