Taking on Leadership Postures: A Whole Person Perspective to Effective Leadership

Leadership in the business world of today is a complex area and the nature of it keeps changing. For flourishing to occur, leaders need to embrace an approach that promotes personal as well as relational and systemic development. This perspective looks at three essential leadership stances: personal, relational and systemic. All three stances contribute clarity that informs actualised leadership behaviour and enables further development, improved communication and a more effective leadership culture.

When this type of leadership is adopted it can lead to a more complete view and understanding of leadership: a three-dimensional, integrated perspective on leadership. As you explore these stances, you will see how they overlap and culminate in the nourishment of great leaders.

The Challenge: Leadership Complexity

Leaders can easily find themselves overwhelmed by the complexity of their challenges in an ever more connected world. In many organisations we are still shackled to old-school hierarchical approaches to leadership that ignore the importance of developing integrated leaders. This frequently results in fragmented lines of communication, lost opportunities for collaboration and managers who can’t effectively relate to their employees.

For example, a Gallup study revealed that highly engaged teams have 21% greater profitability than their less engaged counterparts. This percentage emphasises the pressing need for institutions to change their current leadership practice and invest in development of leadership as per the new perspective of the stances.

The Consequences of Ignoring Leadership Positions

Ignoring or neglecting these leadership positions can be dangerous for organisations:

• Lack of Involvement: Participants can lose enthusiasm, which suppresses initiative and ingenuity.
• Leadership Fatigue: Leaders may feel disconnected and increasingly worn out from their work.
• Isolated Teams: When cohesion is missing, a team can end up working in silos, which undermines teamwork.
• Reduced Innovation: If there’s no shared vision and cooperation, innovation slows.

All of these points highlight the case for leaders needing a whole leadership approach – focusing on personal, relational and systemic dimensions of leadership.

Leadership Stances – Key Steps for Strengthening Them

Step 1: Personal Leadership

Personal leadership begins with self-awareness. Leaders must know their values, strengths and areas for improvement. This is the base upon which they lead effectively and with confidence. Individual leadership development might include the consideration of personal values or writing in a journal about leadership experiences, as suggested by Maike Stolte.

As leaders develop increasing personal awareness, they start to impact their teams in a more positive way. They establish a culture of trust and respect by promoting open communication and accountability. This not only strengthens their leadership but also encourages teams to do well.

Step 2: Relational Leadership

Relational leadership is about the quality of relationships between leaders and the people working with them. This stance invites leaders to interact consciously with team members, listen to their concerns and create an inclusive environment. Its foundation is real relationships made up of trust — the “relationship currency.”

Relationally focused leaders embody traits such as inclusiveness and empathy, which facilitate collaboration in teams. Actionable strategies include learning active listening skills and starting regular feedback dialogues to build trust. Leaders who invest in strong relationships tend to foster better team morale and productivity.

Step 3: Systemic Leadership

Systemic leadership sharpens our focus beyond the team as an isolated entity and extends it to a 360° view of the elements that affect team effectiveness. Leaders who lead with this style seek to sense and respond to the forces between multiple stakeholders and the larger challenges facing their teams.

For such leaders, understanding systems enables them to activate collective action successfully. By creating open conversations between teams and breaking down silos, systemic leaders can align resources and strategic objectives in ways that facilitate new ideas. This can be supported through workshops on system dynamics and collaborative decision-making, enhancing systemic agility in the organisation.

Making the Complex Simple by Understanding the 3 Stances – and Their Integration

What makes these three leadership stances so powerful is that they are interrelated. Personal awareness helps leaders build stronger connections and drive systemic change in their organisations. When these perspectives are brought together, they create an environment of constant growth and learning, allowing an organisation to stay agile when circumstances shift.

Leadership courses and programmes can be designed to integrate personal, relational and systemic elements into a wider leadership journey. Practising this way not only cements learning, it also challenges leaders to apply their skills in real-world situations.

Genuine Impact: An Inspirational Story of Change

Take the case of a middle-sized technology company that identified a problem among its leaders, who had difficulty getting their teams involved. Through the course of a formalised, targeted leadership development programme focusing on personal, relational and systemic leadership capacities, the organisation experienced remarkable improvements. Six months later, staff engagement scores increased by 30%, and team unity had become noticeably stronger.

“I’m now equipped with a toolkit to provide more direction and feedback, time management skills so that I can focus on what’s most important and delegate when needed, and the emotional intelligence tools to manage conflict. Leading with intent and purpose, these leadership stances have impact when used well.”

Conclusion & Next Steps

In summary, an integrated leadership model that balances a personal, relational and systemic orientation can create deep shifts in organisations. When you invest in these areas for your leadership candidates and current leaders, you shift how groups interact and raise the bar for the entire organisation.

For more resources, you might want to explore our comprehensive Leadership Training offerings, which delve into each of these leadership stances further. Additionally, consider visiting our page on Team Coaching to learn how to enhance teamwork through integrated leadership practices.

If you are ready to take the next step in developing your leadership skills and creating a positive impact in your organisation, book a short clarity call today. Together, we can explore the most appropriate leadership programme for your needs.

When you embrace the power of leadership stances, you not only enhance your ability to lead – you also help create a vibrant and engaged environment at work.