In the dynamic landscape of leadership acquisition, organisations often seek individuals with specific strengths and characteristics to address current needs and overcome prevailing challenges.

A prime example is the demand for highly collaborative leaders with strong interpersonal skills capable of inspiring and influencing teams. On the contrary, organisations may need assertive leaders who will take charge and forge ahead with critical business decisions to balance out a culture of excessive consultation, slowing down decisions and delaying much needed action.

Finding individuals possessing the strengths your organisation needs to succeed sounds straightforward, doesn't it? Fast forward six, twelve, or twenty-four months to a set of new or unexpected business challenges that call on those same leaders to demonstrate contrasting leadership styles – will they know how and when to adapt successfully? If so, they may be in a rare group known as 'versatile leaders’.

In a thought-provoking webinar by Peter Berry Consultancy in 2023 titled - “Navigating the Unknown: Versatility's Role in Effective Leadership” - their research findings suggest a strong relationship between versatile leaders and effective leadership, making up only 8% of leaders in their research group. The remaining 92% have strengths that tend to be higher in operational or strategic and enforcing or enabling styles. Versatile leaders exhibit strengths in each style.

The essence of versatility in leadership becomes paramount when grappling with the unknown. Organisations are increasingly recognising the need for leaders who can seamlessly transition between collaborative and assertive approaches, responding adeptly to the evolving demands of the business landscape. The ability to pivot between styles, as dictated by circumstances, is a hallmark of effective leadership in the face of uncertainty.

The nuanced demands of today's business environment require leaders to be agile and responsive. Versatile leaders who can flexibly implement their skills emerge as invaluable assets. As we explore the intricacies of leadership development and assessment, it is evident that fostering versatility is not just an option but a strategic imperative for organisations aiming to thrive in uncertain times.

So, how do versatile leaders become versatile?

The age-old nature versus nurture question comes into play.

Are versatile leaders gifted with these paradoxically different leadership attributes? Perhaps some, but according to Peter Berry, it is more likely that these strengths have been developed over time and through experience, across several roles in different organisations where individuals face numerous business and people-related challenges. These findings suggest that versatile leaders may not have started off being versatile - which is particularly promising, as it suggests that versatility can be developed.

There are, however, some critical ingredients that versatile leaders are likely to have in common, including a great deal of self-awareness plus the desire and motivation to learn and improve. To be versatile, leaders need to understand their ‘natural’ or preferred leadership styles and in what situations this style will lead to effective and, importantly, ineffective outcomes. Leaders must also understand their least preferred leadership styles and when driving these behaviours is likely to yield positive outcomes. Over time, with practice and application, they will learn when to dial up and down each style, even when it feels uncomfortable or against their greater instinct. Through trial and error, they will hone their behaviours until they can successfully demonstrate versatility.

How can we increase self-awareness in leaders and help them to develop versatility?

While some leaders may instinctively self-reflect and self-correct over time, a structured, considered, and proactive development process may benefit others. An effective way to start this process involves the leader partaking in an evidence-based personality assessment or a 360-degree assessment whereby the leader receives feedback from those they work with.

Through the debriefing process, where the coach talks the leader through their profile, they will better understand how they are uniquely different (or perceived differently) to other leaders. They gain clarity on their inherent or natural leadership strengths, when this serves them well, and when they are overplayed. Similarly, and most importantly, a discussion will evolve around their blind spots, their less natural behaviours, and the situations where they are required. When these coaching conversations are paired with a development plan that affords the leader ample time to build new skills, experiment with new behaviours, self-reflect, practice, and refine, can their versatility grow.

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To speak to someone in our leadership advisory team about developing versatility in your leaders, contact our Senior Partner in Leadership Development & Assessment, Nadia Chodkiewicz, at nadia.chodkiewicz@quintonanthony.com.