A leader becomes effective only when he or she matches the needs of followers. This is according to the research of organizational psychologist Xiaotian Sheng, who shows that there is no universal "best" leadership style.
People support leaders who respond to their fundamental psychological needs. Those needs vary from person to person and situation to situation. A leader is seen as effective when he or she matches the needs of followers. For example, in uncertain or threatening situations, people prefer strong leaders who provide security. In more stable contexts, fairness or expertise are often more important.
Leadership viewed through the eyes of followers
Leadership research usually focuses on what makes a good leader. Sheng turned that perspective around: what do followers actually expect from their leaders? She examined how people within groups judge leaders, based on insights about how cooperation and leadership have developed throughout human history. The central question was: what basic needs determine whether people trust, support and judge leaders positively? In doing so, she looked not only at traits of leaders, but at the match between leader and followers.
Six basic psychological needs determine our preference for leaders
Sheng identified six basic psychological needs that determine how people perceive leaders: protection, where a leader provides safety in threatening situations; affiliation, where a leader reinforces group feeling; status, where a leader brings social prestige to the group; vision, where a leader provides direction and future perspective; expertise, where a leader demonstrates professional competence; and justice, where a leader treats people fairly. People differ greatly in which need they consider most important, which is why very different leaders , from connecting bridge builders to decisive crisis managers, can be successful because they appeal to different followers.
Why context plays such a big role
Circumstances often determine which leadership style people value. In situations of uncertainty or threat, followers are more likely to prefer strong, protective leaders. In stable times, on the other hand, people find expertise or fairness more important. Sheng: "This explains why the same leader is seen as inspiring in one context, and ineffective in another."
Practical applications for organisations and society
Sheng's research findings are directly applicable in organisations, leadership training and political research: for leaders, effective leaders adapt their behaviour to the needs of followers and there is no "one-size-fits-all"; for employees, the model helps them understand why they respond differently to types of leaders; and for society, the research offers an explanation of political preferences, for example the rising support for strong leaders during crises such as pandemics or economic uncertainty.
Sheng also developed a validated questionnaire that allows organisations to easily measure which needs are strongest within teams. She will defend her thesis April 13 at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam