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Supportive leadership has long been regarded as a way to include the thoughts and feelings of your employees. But when you’re not in the office together, does it really translate to an effective management style?
Though you may need to wield absolute power in extreme circumstances, that’s not to say that you must employ a style of micromanagement that forgoes support and communication that only supportive leadership can bring.
If you have ultimate respect and trust in the ability of your remote team, supportive leadership can provide a support system that’s encouraging, transparent, and enriching. The only question is how to apply it to the digital age.
What is supportive leadership?
Supportive leadership is a type of leadership based on providing resources to employees and coaching them to an end result. To accomplish a supportive leadership role, managers and owners must provide tools, advice, and other necessities that allow staff to complete tasks and projects with little to no supervision over time.
Task delegation remains an integral part of supportive leadership, but rather than doling out tasks and caring only about the results, you work hand-in-hand with employees until they’re confident enough in the task to complete it on their own. Bear in mind that this doesn’t mean that you’re doing their work until they can mimic your abilities. It’s more like giving them the tools and nudging them in the right direction. Don’t micromanage, and don’t do work that detracts from your goals as a manager or leader.
Supportive leadership also varies from other types of leadership roles in that it may require a different level of support per employee. The level of support isn’t always related to the job level or seniority of the position. It assumes that different employees, regardless of their expertise, may require more supervision or help until they reach a certain level of comfort or independence.
There is a similarity to the idea of family. Much like a parent provides instruction and advice based on their own experiences but lets their children figure things out on their own, a supportive leader does the same. They’re always available for guidance, but only when requested. Furthermore, the role of mentor/coach, like in parenthood, never really ends. It only changes as time goes on.
How does supportive leadership differ in the digital workplace?
Like almost any other type of leadership style, supportive leadership has a bit of a different look and feel to it in the digital workplace compared to the traditional office. It’s a mix of systems thinking and the proper collaboration tools to get the job done.
Systems thinking refers to the connection between all the different aspects of your business from top to bottom, including day-to-day operations and big-picture projects. Moreover, it’s about developing a support system through software, training, and coaching that gives your employees the keys to the Porsche. Your employees have everything they need to set themselves up for success, build confidence, and develop professional skills that can improve your business operations in the future.
No matter your approach, you need to think about what tools you need to use to facilitate both aspects. In an era of different employment arrangements, unlimited PTO, different time zones, and global pandemics, selecting the right tools to get the job done seems obvious but isn’t as straightforward as you may think. Choosing the right collaboration software, hiring outside sources for training if necessary, and conducting efficient digital meetings without unnecessary frequency is experimental in nature, at least at the onset. But once you see what works and what doesn’t, you’re more valuable to your team in a supportive leadership role.
Because it revolves around giving support when or as necessary, supportive leadership needs a mix of collaboration, project management, and communication tools to complete the task. Yet tools shouldn’t overpower the business as a whole. Discovering what tools to use, the availability of references, and additional trading are entirely up to the leader, as well as how to provide access to employees. The leaner and more direct this approach, the simpler it is for employees to find what they need and the better supportive leadership works.
Characteristics of a supportive leader
Perhaps you used other forms of leadership in the past, or maybe your team has been manageable enough that you never employed or decided on a particular leadership style. Either way, the acceptance of supportive leadership and its role in a successful business enterprise should encourage you to lean toward adoption of it.
Yet supportive leadership isn’t inherent in every business owner or manager. By identifying whether you have key traits or not, you can cultivate supportive ideals you already have while working on others. Supportive leaders often demonstrate skills and characteristics such as:
- Makes sure that every person has the tools they need to get their tasks done before they begin work on them
- Empathetic to employees’ lives both professionally and personally
- Has trust for employees, regardless of the size or scope of the project
- Confident in their own abilities
- Ability to create a positive environment for employees that fosters camaraderie and boosts morale
The pros and cons of supportive leadership
Supportive leadership generally garners positive approval from remote teams and managers, as well as experts. Nevertheless, managers should weigh the advantages and disadvantages of such a leadership style to see if it gels with their own personality, business operations, or employees.
Pros
- Can breed loyalty as you invest time into the professional development of your staff
- Boosts outside-the-box thinking toward complex problems or improving everyday operations due to a more collaborative and open forum
- Can provide a two-way street for constructive criticism and feedback between management and subordinates
- Creates a positive workplace environment that may improve morale and employee engagement
Cons
- Doesn’t work for impatient people or perfectionists, as supportive leadership puts a premium on normalizing setbacks and failure. If you’re a person that can’t accept failure from yourself or others, the style can put you on edge.
- Can be time-intensive at the onset of projects or the onboarding of new employees
- Requires the setting of boundaries as to “reasonable availability” for both you and employees
- Results-driven managers and owners (like sales teams) may find too much ambiguity in the process
- Requires an in-depth level of expertise from leadership for the style to be successful
Supportive leadership still has boundaries
Supportive leadership requires transparency and an openness that your employees find frank, earnest, and inviting. However, it can’t hinder your performance in other areas as a business owner or manager. Babying, supportive leadership surely is not.
But by giving employees the proper tools to succeed and reducing the roadblocks that can lead to operational inefficiencies, supportive leadership has its rightful place in the pantheon of effective leadership styles.
Supportive leadership has long been regarded as a way to include the thoughts and feelings of your employees. But when you’re not in the office together, does it really translate to an effective management style?
Though you may need to wield absolute power in extreme circumstances, that’s not to say that you must employ a style of micromanagement that forgoes support and communication that only supportive leadership can bring.
If you have ultimate respect and trust in the ability of your remote team, supportive leadership can provide a support system that’s encouraging, transparent, and enriching. The only question is how to apply it to the digital age.
What is supportive leadership?
Supportive leadership is a type of leadership based on providing resources to employees and coaching them to an end result. To accomplish a supportive leadership role, managers and owners must provide tools, advice, and other necessities that allow staff to complete tasks and projects with little to no supervision over time.
Task delegation remains an integral part of supportive leadership, but rather than doling out tasks and caring only about the results, you work hand-in-hand with employees until they’re confident enough in the task to complete it on their own. Bear in mind that this doesn’t mean that you’re doing their work until they can mimic your abilities. It’s more like giving them the tools and nudging them in the right direction. Don’t micromanage, and don’t do work that detracts from your goals as a manager or leader.
Supportive leadership also varies from other types of leadership roles in that it may require a different level of support per employee. The level of support isn’t always related to the job level or seniority of the position. It assumes that different employees, regardless of their expertise, may require more supervision or help until they reach a certain level of comfort or independence.
There is a similarity to the idea of family. Much like a parent provides instruction and advice based on their own experiences but lets their children figure things out on their own, a supportive leader does the same. They’re always available for guidance, but only when requested. Furthermore, the role of mentor/coach, like in parenthood, never really ends. It only changes as time goes on.
How does supportive leadership differ in the digital workplace?
Like almost any other type of leadership style, supportive leadership has a bit of a different look and feel to it in the digital workplace compared to the traditional office. It’s a mix of systems thinking and the proper collaboration tools to get the job done.
Systems thinking refers to the connection between all the different aspects of your business from top to bottom, including day-to-day operations and big-picture projects. Moreover, it’s about developing a support system through software, training, and coaching that gives your employees the keys to the Porsche. Your employees have everything they need to set themselves up for success, build confidence, and develop professional skills that can improve your business operations in the future.
No matter your approach, you need to think about what tools you need to use to facilitate both aspects. In an era of different employment arrangements, unlimited PTO, different time zones, and global pandemics, selecting the right tools to get the job done seems obvious but isn’t as straightforward as you may think. Choosing the right collaboration software, hiring outside sources for training if necessary, and conducting efficient digital meetings without unnecessary frequency is experimental in nature, at least at the onset. But once you see what works and what doesn’t, you’re more valuable to your team in a supportive leadership role.
Because it revolves around giving support when or as necessary, supportive leadership needs a mix of collaboration, project management, and communication tools to complete the task. Yet tools shouldn’t overpower the business as a whole. Discovering what tools to use, the availability of references, and additional trading are entirely up to the leader, as well as how to provide access to employees. The leaner and more direct this approach, the simpler it is for employees to find what they need and the better supportive leadership works.
Characteristics of a supportive leader
Perhaps you used other forms of leadership in the past, or maybe your team has been manageable enough that you never employed or decided on a particular leadership style. Either way, the acceptance of supportive leadership and its role in a successful business enterprise should encourage you to lean toward adoption of it.
Yet supportive leadership isn’t inherent in every business owner or manager. By identifying whether you have key traits or not, you can cultivate supportive ideals you already have while working on others. Supportive leaders often demonstrate skills and characteristics such as:
- Makes sure that every person has the tools they need to get their tasks done before they begin work on them
- Empathetic to employees’ lives both professionally and personally
- Has trust for employees, regardless of the size or scope of the project
- Confident in their own abilities
- Ability to create a positive environment for employees that fosters camaraderie and boosts morale
The pros and cons of supportive leadership
Supportive leadership generally garners positive approval from remote teams and managers, as well as experts. Nevertheless, managers should weigh the advantages and disadvantages of such a leadership style to see if it gels with their own personality, business operations, or employees.
Pros
- Can breed loyalty as you invest time into the professional development of your staff
- Boosts outside-the-box thinking toward complex problems or improving everyday operations due to a more collaborative and open forum
- Can provide a two-way street for constructive criticism and feedback between management and subordinates
- Creates a positive workplace environment that may improve morale and employee engagement
Cons
- Doesn’t work for impatient people or perfectionists, as supportive leadership puts a premium on normalizing setbacks and failure. If you’re a person that can’t accept failure from yourself or others, the style can put you on edge.
- Can be time-intensive at the onset of projects or the onboarding of new employees
- Requires the setting of boundaries as to “reasonable availability” for both you and employees
- Results-driven managers and owners (like sales teams) may find too much ambiguity in the process
- Requires an in-depth level of expertise from leadership for the style to be successful
Supportive leadership still has boundaries
Supportive leadership requires transparency and an openness that your employees find frank, earnest, and inviting. However, it can’t hinder your performance in other areas as a business owner or manager. Babying, supportive leadership surely is not.
But by giving employees the proper tools to succeed and reducing the roadblocks that can lead to operational inefficiencies, supportive leadership has its rightful place in the pantheon of effective leadership styles.
