When I am asked how leaders should lead, the answer is simple: leadership should be defined in alignment with the organisation’s strategy, supported by a clear leadership framework that sets expectations and fosters development.

As per Schein (1990), culture is defined as a set of shared values and behaviours that serve as a guide to success. Leaders must understand what effective leadership looks like within their organisation to align their actions accordingly.

The Challenge of Leadership in a Changing World

In today’s uncertain and evolving landscape, no one is a completely natural leader. While some individuals may have dominant personalities or excel at certain leadership tasks, truly effective leadership requires understanding how to empower, trust, and grant autonomy to people while balancing organisational needs. The challenge has only intensified in the wake of the pandemic and the onset of AI, with remote leadership becoming a critical competency in most industries and organisations.

New leaders rarely instinctively know how to lead unless they have learned from previous managers or understand what is expected of them. This underscores the importance of having a well-defined leadership model or framework that sets clear values and behaviours, alongside the right development tools to foster growth. This structured ‘Leadership Model’ enables leaders to take accountability for their own development, supported by on-the-job assessments and coaching.

Defining Leadership: A Common Pitfall

Many organisations assume they have defined leadership effectively, but if leaders within the company struggle to articulate what good leadership looks like, there is a fundamental gap. This can result in inconsistent leadership styles, confusion, and ineffective leadership development solutions that merely tick a box rather than drive meaningful change.

The UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) provides an exemplary case of leadership under extreme conditions. In military settings, leadership is not only about strategic command but also about fostering trust, resilience, and rapid decision-making. The British Army, for instance, has long embraced the concept of ‘Mission Command,’ a leadership approach that empowers subordinates with autonomy while ensuring alignment with overarching objectives. This approach mirrors the need for trust and empowerment in today’s corporate leadership landscape.

To understand how leaders should lead, we must look at the evolution of leadership over generations:

• Industrial Era: Command-and-control leadership dominated, with a boss-worker dynamic.
• Office Era: Emotional Intelligence (EQ) emerged, shifting the focus toward understanding and managing emotions in leadership.
• Situational Leadership: Leaders adapted their approach based on specific situations, balancing directive, delegating, selling, and coaching styles.
• Coaching Revolution: Leadership became more about empowering individuals, self-awareness, and leveraging psychometric tools.
• Modern Leadership: According to Korn Ferry’s ‘Third Wave’ model, leadership now emphasises Agency, Authenticity, and Agility.

In sports, Jürgen Klopp’s leadership as Liverpool FC’s manager has demonstrated the power of vision, emotional intelligence, and team cohesion. Klopp’s approach is deeply rooted in trust, motivation, and adaptability. By fostering a strong team culture and creating an environment of belief and commitment, he has transformed Liverpool into one of the most successful football teams in recent history. His leadership highlights the importance of passion, clear communication, and creating a shared vision—qualities that are directly transferable to business leadership.

A compelling case from the business world is Tesco’s turnaround under Dave Lewis. When Lewis took over in 2014, Tesco was facing declining profits and reputational damage. His leadership strategy focused on transparency, employee engagement, and decisive action—three critical pillars of modern leadership. By prioritising clear communication and empowering teams to take ownership, he was able to restore trust and drive a successful business transformation.

The Need for Human Leadership

In the post-pandemic world, leadership demands greater empathy, compassion, humility, and respect. While strong leadership is still required to make difficult decisions—such as managing redundancies, mergers, and business closures—leaders must balance these with emotional intelligence to guide teams through change effectively.

Pre-pandemic, the expectation was that people would be given autonomy and empowered, especially with millennials entering the workforce. However, the pandemic reinforced that leadership is about inspiring others, providing comfort in crisis, and fostering resilience. A great leader takes responsibility when things go wrong and steps aside to celebrate their team’s success.

The Future of Leadership

For organisations to define what good leadership looks like, they must consider both historical leadership models and the evolving demands of modern leadership. The best leaders of the future will be those who cultivate leadership in others—allowing individuals to develop their own unique leadership styles while staying aligned with the organisation’s core values.

Leadership, at its core, is about helping others dream more, do more, and be more. It is about being visible, present, and adaptable in an ever-changing world.

What are your thoughts on the future of leadership?