The State of Leadership in Australian Workplaces Report 2021
A joint AHRI and The Leaders Lab study shows that while nearly 60% of the Australian leaders reported that they felt they were struggling as leaders, only 22.3% of the Australian leaders reported that they were thriving with ease in their workplaces. The report discusses findings relating to the ability of Australian leaders to provide effective leadership and support that will significantly impact on employees’ ongoing wellbeing and performance.
1. CURRENT STATE: LEADERSHIP IN AUSTRALIAN WORKPLACES
Leading groups of people to achieve shared goals has never been easy, but with an increasingly diverse, dynamic, and complex landscape in most workplaces, an ever-growing list of “management” expectations, and only so much time and energy to navigate each day, it’s no wonder that nearly 60% of the leaders we surveyed said they felt like they were struggling as leaders. Fortunately, our findings – and those of other researchers – have repeatedly demonstrated that it is possible to thrive even in the face of struggle. For leaders and their teams, we found that sustaining their levels of wellbeing and performance at work is less dependent on their situations and more dependent on the capacities of leaders to effectively navigate not only the good times and successes, but also the struggles and challenges that they encounter.
22.3%
OF AUSTRALIAN LEADERS
ARE THRIVING WITH EASE.
2. NAVIGATING UNCERTAINTY: THE
NEED FOR A THRIVE MINDSET
For the past decade, studies have repeatedly found that many of the traditional leadership beliefs, skills, and tools have become obsolete in the face of the complex, diverse, and dynamic nature of today’s workplaces. These outdated “management” approaches are not only leaving many leaders feeling overwhelmed as they struggle to keep up with the growing expectations of their roles, but are often detrimental to the wellbeing and performance of leaders and their teams. Our research and other studies have found that leaders who are able to thrive even in the face of disruption and uncertainty, aren’t just “doing” things differently. They are “showing up” differently due to the leadership mindset they hold – their beliefs – about their roles and responsibilities at work. They demonstrate what we have called a THRIVE mindset.
37.7%
OF AUSTRALIAN LEADERS
OFTEN DEMONSTRATE A
THRIVE MINDSET.
3. IMPROVING OUTCOMES – CREATING CULTURES OF CARE
We all share the same deep psychological needs to be seen, respected, and valued. It’s why researchers, including us, have repeatedly found that when leaders express genuine CARE for their team, levels of engagement, performance, and wellbeing all improve significantly – especially during times of uncertainty. For example, Dr. Mandy O’Neill’s research has found that when leaders prioritize the creation of a positive emotional culture, teams are more likely to have better performance, provide better customer service, and be more innovative, and people are less likely to burn out or quit. They build what we have called a CARE culture.
27%
OF AUSTRALIAN TEAM
MEMBERS REPORT THEIR
LEADERS OFTEN CREATE A
CULTURE OF CARE.
4. HELPING LEADERS: AMPLIFYING LEADERS’ CAPACITIES
Leadership is never “won-and-done.” It is a constant work in progress in which the goals for leaders should not be perfection, but the courage to continue intelligently experimenting with ways to bring out the best in themselves and their teams as the work and the people around them keep changing. Ultimately, success is continuing to find better ways to lead. Our findings point to three key ingredients that amplify the impact leaders can have on the wellbeing and performance of themselves and their team: leadership ability (A), leadership motivation (M) and psychological safety (P).
46%
OF AUSTRALIAN LEADERS
FELT COMPLETELY ABLE TO
LEAD THEIR TEAM IN THE
FACE OF UNCERTAINTY.
For media enquiries, please contact:
Julie McNamara
Media Specialist, Mahlab
[email protected]
0419 595 688
