The New Leader: Humility is Key to Developing New Leadership Styles
The newspaper “Sapo” published Teresa’s viewpoint on how the topic of leadership is not new, but today it takes on new and greater significance as we witness the need for a renewal of skills. As noted by Teresa Oliveira, coordinator of the Leadership Development Program at The Lisbon MBA Católica | Nova, in an exclusive interview with Human Resources by Sandra M. Pinto.
Link to original publication in portuguese.
Eng version below
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According to Teresa Oliveira’s perspective, this is an excellent time to experiment with different practices and observe the results. She expresses hope that the new “state of affairs” will evolve towards less hierarchical organizational structures that no longer foster and reward conformity, making the misalignment of outdated leadership practices more evident.
Until March 2020, how could we define the “dominant” leadership model?
For several decades now, leadership has moved away from the notion of an ideal model and has instead been studied as a complex, multidimensional process influenced by various factors. Leadership has been explored within diverse organizational and cultural contexts, carrying different meanings depending on the people and situations involved. Therefore, it is unwise to approach it with simplistic explanations of what constitutes good leadership and how it operates.
In recent decades, new leadership approaches have emerged, challenging the traditional roles typically associated with leaders. For instance, “servant leadership” emphasizes that a leader’s primary responsibility is to serve their team, focusing on their development and autonomy.
Additionally, concepts of “collective leadership” have gained more prominence, especially as the volatile and uncertain challenges of today’s world call for shared responsibility for collective outcomes. This approach encourages reflection and actions that benefit the organization as a whole. Nowadays, it is common to hear about the advantages and necessity of empowering individuals and teams. Some companies have even popularized the term “unbossing”, highlighting the need to rethink outdated management hierarchies and replace them with leadership models that better fit today’s realities.
Another interesting approach is “adaptive leadership”, which emerged a few years ago, introduced by various authors and consultants who emphasized the importance of leaders facilitating adaptation in our complex world. In this context, leaders should support and encourage individuals and teams to adapt to frequent changes, helping them discover new ways of approaching and solving problems, and taking risks when the diagnosis and solutions are not clear-cut, particularly when there is no prior knowledge or experience to rely on for safe, predictable results.
Is the pandemic changing companies? In what way?
The primary change I’ve been dealing with—though there are other significant changes in other areas—is remote work and the various implications it has brought.
Recently, I’ve been in contact with companies that had been trying to implement remote work for quite some time but were facing considerable resistance. Suddenly, people were forced into it, and now the expectation is that many of these new habits will persist even after the confinement period. At the same time, companies have become more aware of the necessary conditions for remote work to be effective. For instance, during this period, I coached someone who could only work from their kitchen, as the rest of the house was occupied by family members. In a recent survey conducted with the team I work with at a tech company, people identified their biggest challenge with remote work as being unable to “disconnect” or take breaks and leisure time. We are well aware of the risks of burnout and depression that these situations can generate, not to mention the negative impacts on creativity, focus, and the ability to solve complex problems.
There also seems to be an emerging need to rethink individual roles and responsibilities in this context. Some companies simply transferred their office practices to the remote environment. In some cases, they even increased control measures, frequently checking whether people were working or requiring them to be online all day. For most people, this is far from motivating.
However, many leaders have understood the opportunities that this new reality presents. I work with some who recognized that this was an excellent opportunity to truly empower their people and enhance team performance: they focused on activities that add real value and gave their direct reports the responsibility to solve problems on their own or among themselves (within clearly defined boundaries and with well-established expected results). These leaders are now evaluating performance based on outcomes achieved rather than hours worked. And they are quite satisfied with the results they are seeing.
What consequences have emerged for leaders?
Much has already been written about the need for individuals and organizations to understand that policies, systems, and processes that have proven effective in the past may become problematic when applied to new imperatives in a volatile and rapidly changing reality. There’s also been a strong emphasis on the need for people to rethink traditional views of power, as these conventional perspectives can become obstacles during times that demand disruptive actions.
For instance, the notion of the heroic leader—who makes decisions alone and shields their team—can be quite toxic in an environment filled with new and ambiguous situations. A more promising approach is the leader who is genuinely open to incorporating others’ ideas, uses curiosity to explore different perspectives, and gives a voice to “outliers” to broaden the range of possible actions.
The challenge for leaders, as for most of us, will be to shift our mindset to effectively address the challenges of an ever-accelerating world. This means moving beyond merely espousing inspirational values to adopting daily practices that others can recognize. For example, becoming aware of and accepting what one does not know, regardless of one’s past track record of successes, becomes essential.
What are the emerging competencies that are now fundamental?
Everything suggests that traditional executive roles will maintain their relevance. The key question, however, is how expectations for these roles will evolve. If leaders remain confined to traditional leadership models and the formal authority they wield, they may struggle to grasp the complexity and dynamic balances that underpin sound decision-making.
One of the most challenging and fascinating lessons is recognizing and surpassing the limitations of our brains, which are wired to operate conservatively (by repeating what we’ve done before) and to interpret a multifaceted reality in a simplistic and partial manner. We live in a highly volatile and ambiguous world, equipped only with the simple mechanisms that enabled our ancestors to adapt and survive on the savannah. However, the knowledge we have today allows us to be aware of our perceptual and cognitive biases and to develop strategies to mitigate them. It’s possible to enhance our cognitive and emotional complexity to better align with the complexities of the world around us. We can cultivate the habit of questioning our certainties and beliefs about ourselves, others, organizations, and the world we live in.
Since the inception of The Lisbon MBA Católica | Nova, we have consistently aimed to prepare our students for this future that we long foresaw as dynamic and uncertain. In line with what has been written about the leadership competencies required now and in the future, our programs focus on several core competencies crucial for this reality: self-awareness, adaptability to navigate and make decisions in ambiguous situations and creativity to explore new solutions to problems.
Another set of essential competencies relates to building relationships and teams. In recent years, various organizations have distinguished themselves by emphasizing the importance of fostering trust, psychological safety, and authenticity, which underpin “true” teams, particularly self-managed teams. Beyond the aforementioned skills, our students also have the opportunity to rethink their beliefs about power and the values they wish to embody in their everyday leadership practice.
Some advocate empathy and transparency as two essential pillars. How can they influence leadership?
All indications are that these qualities will remain crucial to the quality of leadership, both now and in the future. For example, much of what has been written about how to communicate with teams during the pandemic and about the best decision-making approaches has these two dimensions at its core. Many companies are already putting this into practice: several have introduced weekly or biweekly touchpoints with top management, focusing on principles like respecting remote work boundaries and avoiding extended work hours.
A real-life example is of a manager working remotely who periodically calls each team member on the ground, simply to check in on how they are doing. Other companies are taking extra care to listen to employees’ needs, both during lockdowns and in preparation for returning to the office. One individual I work with shared that their motivation and gratitude towards their company significantly increased because they felt there was genuine concern for employee well-being.
Research shows that transparency is critical for followers to recognize and “buy into” their leaders. There are also compelling data suggesting that people are more willing to accept mistakes when they believe there were good intentions behind them and that the factors considered in the decision-making process were transparently communicated.
Regarding empathy, leadership inherently involves influencing and mobilizing people toward a common goal, something that is very difficult to achieve without addressing the emotional experiences and needs of others. For instance, many of the current reports I’ve heard about team dissatisfaction stem from employees feeling that their organizations and leaders ignore the conditions in which they work and the challenges they face. They don’t feel there is empathy, which often leads to lower engagement and commitment.
Empathy is especially critical in leadership because many changes, even positive ones, can generate significant anxiety. Change threatens the human need for predictability. Without empathy, it is much harder to identify the necessary balances to mobilize people toward change, to embrace new practices and to accept risks and uncertainties. Without empathy, it is also more challenging to create environments that support “true” teams or self-managed teams, where conflicting perspectives must be harmonized—not by eliminating differences but by co-creating solutions from them.
How can these competencies be developed, if at all possible?
We know that developing intra and interpersonal competencies, including leadership skills, is indeed possible. We are not inherently bound by our biology or psychological traits. Many of our leadership practices result from social learning, which means we have the flexibility to change them.
These skills do not develop in a one-time event; rather, they emerge through an iterative process. We evolve by questioning our beliefs and habits, engaging with different experiences, maintaining curiosity about them, and experimenting with new ways of addressing challenges. The development of these competencies happens through the intentional and repeated integration of new behaviors in relevant life situations over several months.
In our two programs at The Lisbon MBA Católica | Nova, we encourage students to plan how to apply their learnings to their organizational contexts. We heavily rely on both initial and ongoing feedback as a tool for reinforcement and readjustment. In our international program, the classroom itself becomes a “laboratory” where tools can be applied, and learnings tested for real-time results.
Additionally, the support of others plays a crucial role in adopting new practices in everyday life. For this reason, our programs include the opportunity for students to receive individual coaching, providing tailored guidance to reinforce their development.
Today, everything is more scrutinized and performance levels are easily measurable. In light of this reality, how should leaders act?
Someone once told me that the trainees who reported to them had a WhatsApp group: “Whenever I arrive in a bad mood, they all find out immediately.” Beyond making it easier to scrutinize the behavior of people in prominent positions, what we are seeing now may be similar to what happened during the previous crisis: it became more apparent who was and wasn’t capable of mobilizing their team to perform at their best. Many individuals distinguished themselves by achieving positive results despite adverse conditions, and this success was attributed to the quality of their leadership.
One practice that significantly enhances team performance is aligning performance expectations with various stakeholders: What does success look like, and how will we measure it? In addition, investing time in clarifying roles, responsibilities, decision-making authority, and creating actionable plans promotes accountability. I would also recommend systematically creating opportunities for people to contribute ideas and participate in decision-making. Learning techniques that support collective decision-making can be particularly valuable in this phase.
In your perspective, how will professional relationships look moving forward?
I believe that different leadership styles and organizational structures will continue to coexist, just as they do now. However, I am convinced that some people will take this opportunity to rethink how they perceive teams and what they can deliver. Perhaps I am drawing from a biased sample, but I’ve been in contact with many leaders who have observed that the people they work with are taking more initiative, presenting more proposals, and becoming more cohesive, showing concern for supporting their peers. Others have noted that getting to know a more human side of their colleagues, which they previously weren’t aware of, has improved their relationships. Some have even reported that meetings have significantly improved; they start on time, have clear objectives and agendas, and contributions are now shorter and more focused on results.
It would be a shame if all these positive changes were lost.
How is a leader supported within the organization? Does a leader need internal support areas and have these areas changed during the crisis? Have some gained more relevance than others?
What is considered good leadership greatly depends on the organization’s culture and its size. However, in recent years, significant attention has been given to the quality of team development, under the premise that what a team delivers is closely linked to the quality of its leadership. Additionally, the importance of the internal and external relationships that the team establishes has become increasingly clear. A leader significantly influences the team’s behavior in these areas.
It’s now less common to hear leaders claim that their role is to “defend their team from external attacks.” I’ve noticed a shift away from fostering competition between one’s team and other departments to increase internal cohesion. Instead, more people are expressing that their role is systemic, actively promoting cooperative relationships with other areas to gain more support when it comes to problem-solving.
A student from The Lisbon MBA once shared with me that his executive had told him that, despite his excellent performance, he would not advance further in the company if he continued to treat colleagues from other departments as “enemies.” That was his key development goal!
Is internal communication more crucial than ever?
Absolutely. Internal communication plays a vital role in helping people feel valued and reducing rumors and speculation that can significantly impact productivity and engagement.
As I mentioned earlier, many companies have been heavily investing in the quality and frequency of their communication with the entire organization. I know of a CEO who hosts virtual breakfast meetings open to anyone who wishes to join, simply to ask questions. We handle uncertainty and ambiguity better, like the current situation, when we have “some certainties” about what’s happening. Accessing information about the organization not only helps with this but also makes employees feel that they are truly part of the company.
Given the many economic consequences for companies, can the quality of leadership be the key to survival?
The history of organizations shows us that their decline can often be attributed to various factors, with leadership being one of them. Leadership capabilities sometimes result in toxic manifestations of power. There is compelling research highlighting the detrimental—and not uncommon—effects of leaders who progress by surrounding themselves with individuals who never challenge them, who unconditionally support their decisions and who suppress any negative feedback or dissenting opinions.
To face both current and future challenges, it’s crucial to foster an environment where teams feel safe enough to embrace differing, even opposing, viewpoints, address conflicts openly and co-create solutions based on outcomes rather than the source of the ideas. Certain leadership styles can be particularly harmful if they fail to promote this kind of collaborative atmosphere.
In situations perceived as threatening, the instinct to tighten control is a common response. It offers a temporary sense of safety and comfort. However, in a completely unfamiliar landscape, taking control alone can be a significant risk. Our knowledge and experience in this new context are inherently limited, which can increase the likelihood of making incomplete or misguided decisions.
What role does purpose play in organizations now?
Purpose plays a crucial role—and it’s not just a recent topic. One of the ways to make sense of suffering is to feel that we are contributing to a cause that mobilizes us. Even today, Churchill’s speeches remain inspiring because they galvanized people toward a purpose greater than themselves. Similarly, the life and work of Viktor E. Frankl demonstrate how, even under the dire conditions of a concentration camp, having a purpose can significantly enhance our ability to survive.
The search for a “Why?” can serve as a powerful source of inspiration for teams during challenging times. It helps create a collective sense of purpose for both the present and the future. This purpose might be driven by the belief in meaningful work, by love (the care for others), or by courage (the ability to face something difficult and to act despite fear).
In the current situation, leaders are managing and guiding organizations while simultaneously facing the same vulnerabilities as their employees. How can this reality impact organizational life?
One of the most effective ways to foster trust that supports “true” teams is through vulnerability, in the sense of openly sharing the negative emotions triggered by loss, uncertainty, or the failure of a change initiative. There are countless accounts of people feeling closer to their leaders when these leaders express, without being dramatic or desperate, their sadness or frustration over a setback.
I often use this exercise in workshops: “Did the leader you enjoyed working with most keep a ‘poker face’ during challenges, or were they someone whose emotions—like frustration, concern, or sadness—you could read?” So far, I can say that 90% to 95% of participants report preferring leaders who did not hide their negative emotions and even spoke about them. The exceptions typically involved people who were exceptionally strong technically and also reliable in human terms (they were trustworthy). Accepting vulnerability makes it easier to take risks, share ideas, feel connected and understand one another.
Of course, vulnerability needs to be contextually appropriate and, I would suggest, balanced with hope. Humans have a fundamental need to feel in control of their lives. Therefore, alongside sharing negative emotions, it’s crucial to help people find consistent and actionable strategies to overcome challenges.
Where does the status quo stand now?
One of the aspects I’ve appreciated most during this period is the public acknowledgment of the uncertainty we’re living through. It seems that opinions are now expressed with more caution and less certainty. The feeling of being absolutely right is a significant barrier to our evolution because it causes us to reject anything that suggests there are alternative ways of doing and being. Does history repeat itself, or doesn’t it? Even if it does, the eras are different, the variables are different and there is one key difference today: the technology we have at our disposal. In my view, there’s a strong likelihood that we are moving toward a reality that’s different from the one we knew. This is yet another expression of the VUCA (Volatile, Uncertain, Complex, Ambiguous) world we were already experiencing.
I am hopeful that the new “state of things” will evolve towards less hierarchical organizational structures that stop nurturing and rewarding conformity. I also hope it becomes more evident how outdated leadership practices—those that view control and centralization of power as their core—are increasingly misaligned with our current reality (a mindset reminiscent of the early 20th century). What we understand about the performance of people and teams suggests that empowering them is what truly drives individuals to do their best and to want to excel.
If nothing remains the same as before, can we then conclude that we are witnessing the birth of a new type of leader?
I would like to believe so. I hope that the confrontation we are experiencing with some of our long-held beliefs, as well as the surprise at the current reality which is causing us considerable discomfort, will also help us develop greater humility about what we truly know and do, and about the value of what others know and do. This is an excellent time to try out different practices and observe the outcomes, with the understanding that whatever we learn will always be temporary and have a limited effectiveness over time.
Humility is crucial for developing new leadership styles. It would be fantastic if, at least for as long as we remember this pandemic, we could shift our focus away from trying to prove that we know everything necessary and instead redirect that energy toward learning about all the different ways we can be and do things.
