Organizations are adopting new, innovative leadership methods to manage the highly diverse and multi-generational workforce of today. It’s one of the ways to stay ahead of the curve in a volatile, and uncertain business environment. Looking to how different cultures across the globe employ their leadership styles is one way to gain inspiring and effective ways to lead. We take a journey across the globe to examine 3 unique leadership methods from different countries that can boost your teams’ capabilities.
3 global leadership methods for empowering teams
Flattened Organizational Structure: Danish Leadership Method
While Danish leaders strive for aggressive goals as much as their peers in other parts of the world, they tend to function in a way that values the team above the individual. In fact, teamwork is embedded in their cultural heritage. As a result, Danish organizations are flatter, meaning leadership and decision-making is spread across teams. Leaders in these types of structures are collaborative, nimble and cross-functional, and listen to their team members to understand their needs and lend coaching when necessary.
Laid-Back Approach: Australian Leadership Method
In a business context, Australians are known to value charisma in their leaders as well as a strong sense of decisiveness. Leaders exist to inspire and motivate teams, but they expect high performance in return. How they can achieve this is through their laid-back, but highly attuned sense of relationship when working with their teams, which allows them to feel at ease. This also allows employees to have permission to contribute to business outcomes in friendly and non-threatening environment.
Focus on Gender-parity: Icelandic Leadership Method
The concept of a strong woman has existed in Icelandic culture since its origins. Considered equal to their male counterparts, women have contributed to building Icelandic society and have enjoyed the same rights as men for generations. The gender parity can be seen from a leadership standpoint, where a large percentage of the female population hold leadership and management positions. It makes good business sense to follow the Icelandic method. Companies that emphasize gender balance in the workforce tend to be highly performing In fact, according to a recent study by a global leadership company, organizations with women holding at least 30% of leadership roles are 40% more likely to have sustained profitable growth.
Learn more about different leadership methods from around the world.
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