{"id":84851,"date":"2024-02-05T02:00:00","date_gmt":"2024-02-05T02:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/content-stg-talogy.pantheonsite.io\/?p=84851"},"modified":"2025-11-28T15:17:57","modified_gmt":"2025-11-28T15:17:57","slug":"does-great-leadership-make-a-difference","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/talogy.com\/en\/blog\/does-great-leadership-make-a-difference\/","title":{"rendered":"Does great leadership make a difference?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>Leadership is one of the most discussed topics in talent acquisition and development. The question of how to be a great leader is constantly debated. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This is hardly surprising; leadership of course is fundamentally challenging and complex. Leadership is also continually evolving, based on the changing working context and expectations of employees and organizations. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In all these debates, it is typically treated as a given that leadership is critical for organizational success. But what do we actually know about the impact and benefits of great leadership and how it makes a difference? <\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What do employees think?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>In our <a href=\"https:\/\/info.talogy.com\/en-us\/leading-in-future-world-of-work\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">international research report,<\/a> which explored the future of leadership, we asked employees to rate the importance of leadership for overall organizational performance and various specific factors. The results are shown in this graph:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-large is-resized\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"663\" src=\"https:\/\/talogy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/DHughes-InView-Blog-Image-1024x663.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-84979\" style=\"width:699px;height:auto\" srcset=\"https:\/\/talogy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/DHughes-InView-Blog-Image-1024x663.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/talogy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/DHughes-InView-Blog-Image-300x194.jpg 300w, https:\/\/talogy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/DHughes-InView-Blog-Image-768x497.jpg 768w, https:\/\/talogy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/DHughes-InView-Blog-Image.jpg 1281w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>In terms of overall organizational performance, 90% of employees indicated that <a href=\"\/en\/blog\/the-top-5-skills-of-effective-leaders\/\">effective leadership<\/a> was either extremely or very important. Perceived importance of leadership on specific factors varied, with at least 75% of employees stating that leadership was extremely or very important for adapting to change, employee retention, collaboration, and productivity. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>These results are of course based on the opinions and experiences of employees. So, what do we know from scientific research, in terms of which organizational outcomes are statistically associated with great leadership?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Benefits of great leadership from scientific research<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>\nHere are some key areas where research has demonstrated the link between leadership and organizational outcomes:\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Financial metrics: <\/strong>It can be difficult to make a direct link between leadership and financial metrics of an organization, given the variety of factors involved. However, different studies have shown that CEOs in <a href=\"https:\/\/psycnet.apa.org\/record\/2012-21054-004\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">technology organizations<\/a> and leaders in a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.forbes.com\/sites\/jackzenger\/2015\/01\/15\/great-leaders-can-double-profits-research-shows\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">commercial bank<\/a> who showed more effective leadership (as rated by others) achieved higher levels of financial profitability.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Employee job performance: <\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/eric.ed.gov\/?id=EJ1192239\">Various leadership <\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/eric.ed.gov\/?id=EJ1192239\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">p<\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/eric.ed.gov\/?id=EJ1192239\">ractices<\/a> \u2013 for example motivational communication, relationship building, and coaching behaviors \u2013 are associated both with better team effectiveness and job performance of individual employees. Transformational leadership has also been highlighted as particularly relevant for generating higher employee performance.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Organizational citizenship: <\/strong>These are discretionary behaviors outside someone\u2019s formal job description, for example going above and beyond to help colleagues and benefit the wider organization. A <a href=\"https:\/\/psycnet.apa.org\/record\/2019-18160-001\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">meta-analysis of research <\/a>found that several <a href=\"\/en\/blog\/3-ways-positive-leadership-can-make-your-organization-more-effective\/\">positive leadership<\/a> styles are associated with more organizational citizenship among teams and individual employees, with servant leadership behaviors highlighted as particularly valuable.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Creativity and innovation:<\/strong> The same meta-analysis also demonstrated an association between leadership styles and employee creativity, with servant leadership behaviors again being highlighted as particularly important for this area.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Does great leadership make a difference to employees?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Great leadership has also been shown to correlate with various aspects of the employee experience. The employee experience is key because <a href=\"\/en\/blog\/how-strong-leadership-can-positively-impact-employee-experience\/\">the way employees feel impacts their performance<\/a>. It affects their motivation, their effort, and their desire to stay in the organization long term. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Another <a href=\"https:\/\/psycnet.apa.org\/record\/2018-01558-003\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">meta-analysis of research studies<\/a> found a significant association between various positive leadership styles and elements of the employee experience. More effective leadership related to higher:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Work engagement<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Job satisfaction<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Emotional attachment to the organization<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Trust in leaders<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>\nTaken together, this scientific research proves that yes, great leadership does make a difference to the employee. It underlines the critical importance of leadership for organizations and the people working in them. Both are key for sustainable organizational success because this requires leaders to enable high performance as well as retain effective, engaged employees within the organization.\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What does great leadership look like?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>At Talogy, we have conducted extensive research ourselves over many years to explore how leadership is evolving and what great leadership should look like. We have used this to inform the development of our own <a href=\"\/en\/talent-management-solutions\/assessments\/talogy-inview-leadership\/\">Talogy InView Leadership Framework<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Our own research as well as other scientific research studies highlight several key themes that demonstrate what great leadership looks like in today\u2019s world of work:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>There is no \u2018one size fits all\u2019:<\/strong> There is no single best leadership style or approach for every occasion. Great leaders recognize and manage the constant tension and interplay between demands of their organization\u2019s context \u2013 the need to achieve results while looking after the people delivering them \u2013 and the need to drive transformation that is required for future success while also providing stability to employees. This requires leaders to continually navigate the right balance between these competing demands in terms of their own behavior and emphasis.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>There is a need for more human-centered leadership:<\/strong> Great leaders tend to demonstrate more <a href=\"\/en\/blog\/why-is-people-centered-leadership-critical-for-future-ready-companies\/\">human-centered leadership<\/a> qualities and emotional intelligence. Leaders need to consider how they can best support employees\u2019 psychological needs and growth to facilitate more <a href=\"\/en\/blog\/why-every-leader-needs-to-understand-intrinsic-motivation-and-how-to-build-it\/\">intrinsic motivation<\/a>. In our research, \u2018Inspiring, motivating and engaging\u2019 was the number one attribute that leaders needed to demonstrate both to achieve results and to enable a positive employee experience. It is a false dichotomy to think that leaders need to choose between delivering results and looking after their people \u2013 they go hand in hand.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Humble awareness and intentionality are key: <\/strong>Great leadership requires leaders to be humble and self-aware. They need to reflect on their own \u2018<a href=\"\/en\/blog\/understanding-leadership-identity-who-are-you-as-a-leader\/\">leadership identity<\/a>\u2019 \u2013 why they want to be a leader and how they connect their personal values to the way they lead. Great leaders understand their strengths and limitations, recognizing that they can\u2019t have all the answers themselves. At the same time, leaders also need to be continually aware of the impact of their behavior and be intentional about how they choose to conduct themselves in their day-to-day interactions.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Does great leadership make a difference overall?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>\nThese themes emphasize the need for organizations to consider the ways that they are approaching the identification and development of leaders at different levels. When it comes to promoting a culture of great leadership, ask yourself these tangible questions:\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Are our <a href=\"\/en\/knowledge-hub\/leadership-assessment\/\">leadership assessment<\/a> approaches identifying people with the right values and qualities to be a great leader in our organization?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Do our leaders understand the qualities they really need to be a great leader and how to properly develop them?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Are the development and growth opportunities we are providing to leaders at different levels actually working?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>\nThese are key questions that every organization faces because great leadership makes a real and practical difference at work. Great leaders facilitate high performance and happy workers, which together help to drive sustainable success for organizations.\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-media-text alignwide is-vertically-aligned-center is-stacked-on-mobile\" style=\"padding-top:var(--wp--preset--spacing--20);padding-bottom:var(--wp--preset--spacing--20);grid-template-columns:40% auto\"><figure class=\"wp-block-media-text__media\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"595\" height=\"842\" src=\"http:\/\/talogy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/InView-CTA-Image.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-83759 size-full\" srcset=\"https:\/\/talogy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/InView-CTA-Image.jpg 595w, https:\/\/talogy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/InView-CTA-Image-212x300.jpg 212w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 595px) 100vw, 595px\" \/><\/figure><div class=\"wp-block-media-text__content\">\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Nine essential elements for modern leadership<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The requirements to successfully lead in today\u2019s organizations differ significantly from the past, and leadership hiring and development processes can only be effective if the attitudes, skills, and behaviors measured align with demands of the modern, complex world. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Optimize your leadership talent processes, and create an organization fit for the unpredictable future with our tip sheet, which will help you to understand the areas your (future) leaders need to master for sustained success.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-buttons is-layout-flex wp-block-buttons-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-button\"><a class=\"wp-block-button__link wp-element-button\" href=\"https:\/\/info.talogy.com\/en-us\/nine-essential-elements-for-modern-leadership\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Download now<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Leadership is one of the most discussed topics in talent acquisition and development. The question of how to be a great leader is constantly debated. This is hardly surprising; leadership of course is fundamentally challenging and complex. Leadership is also continually evolving, based on the changing working context and expectations of employees and organizations. In [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":18,"featured_media":104474,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"custom_post_author_id":"103402","footnotes":""},"categories":[179],"tags":[],"tax_topic":[170,169],"tax_industry":[157,156,155,154,153,152,151,150,149,148],"class_list":["post-84851","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-blog","tax_topic-leadership-assessment","tax_topic-leadership-development","tax_industry-automotive","tax_industry-energy-and-utility","tax_industry-federal-government","tax_industry-finance-and-insurance","tax_industry-healthcare","tax_industry-manufacturing","tax_industry-professional-services","tax_industry-public-sector","tax_industry-retail","tax_industry-state-and-local-government"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v26.9 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Does great leadership make a difference? | Talogy<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Unlock success in the workplace with impactful leadership. Explore the vital role of great leaders in fostering thriving, motivated, and engaged employees.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/talogy.com\/en\/blog\/does-great-leadership-make-a-difference\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Does great leadership make a difference? | Talogy\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Unlock success in the workplace with impactful leadership. 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