Research consistently shows leadership that is people focused and enables employees to perform is the most effective – Servant and Level 5 Leadership are great examples of this. There are lots of ways of expressing this, whether it be managerial grid’s people vs results focus; John Maxwells ‘be devoted to your people but expect excellence’; Gilbert Enoka ‘have the fierce determination of a viking but the heart of a mother’; or Brené Brown ‘have a stiff back and a soft front’.
This article adds another perspective to how this can work from a leadership coach, Marcel Schwantes. He writes highly effective leaders:
- Put their people first. Not in the corporate‑poster way — in the practical, everyday way. They clear roadblocks, offer real support, and create psychological safety so their team can think, speak, and perform without fear. Their power comes from elevating others, not protecting themselves.
- Share credit generously. Great leaders don’t make themselves the hero (in fact Level 5 leadership found the hero charismatic leaders damaged their organisations in the medium to long term). They highlight contributions, celebrate wins publicly, and make sure the right people get recognized. That simple act builds trust faster than any team‑building exercise. NZ research found this had the biggest impact on workers wellbeing – people getting recognition/acknowledgement at work were 30x more likely to be doing well mental health wise.
- Own their mistakes. When things go sideways, they don’t deflect, spin, or blame. They step up, take responsibility, and model accountability. That honesty doesn’t weaken them — it makes people respect them more.
Most of the key leadership models currently have humility as a key component – enabling ‘putting their people first’. Jim Collins found that the humility in Level 5 leaders lead them to do the last two bullets – attribute successes to their team and failures to themselves. Attributing failures to themselves resulted in Level 5 leaders reflecting on what they could have done differently, increasing their self awareness and learning from these situations whilst fronting problems for their team. As Nelson Mandela said:
It is better to lead from behind and to put others in front, especially when you celebrate victory when nice things occur. You take the front line when there is danger. Then people will appreciate your leadership.
Humility is not easy however! And that’s where strengths and purpose come in. We need to have some rocks to hang onto to live in the humble space!
