OPINION
Visionary leadership Leaders who adopt the visionary leadership style are able to provide guidance, encouragement and motivation, as well as comprehend the outside environment and react appropriately. Visionary leaders can develop a unique vision that attracts commitment, inspires people, revitalises organisations and mobilises the resources needed to turn that vision into a reality, as Bernard Morris Bass outlined in his 1996 book, New paradigm of leadership: An inquiry into transformational leadership . In the context of promoting employee mental wellbeing, visionary leaders help generate an image in the employee’s mind that is geared towards a better state of mental wellbeing. This is because visionary leaders map out a path in the mind of employees, communicate the path to them and strategise plans to move towards it. Autocratic leadership An autocratic leadership style is exemplified when a leader dictates policies and procedures, decides what goals are to be achieved and directs and controls all activities with minimal participation from subordinates. Such a leader has full control of the team they lead, leaving low autonomy within the group members. Autocratic leadership fits well when quick decisions about employee mental wellbeing initiatives are made. An example of this would be deciding on the strategies and techniques required to reduce stress, boost morale and restore confidence to a group of employees after long challenging months of hard work. This is because with this leadership style, there is no need to gather consensus from the team members when making decisions. When fewer people are involved in the decision- making and goal-setting process, the structure and direction towards achieving desired objectives can be established more quickly. This is one of the key characteristics of autocratic leadership and so, when used e ectively, this style can bring many benefits to a workplace, particularly during high-stress situations where quick decisions are needed. Ultimately, humanising oneself as well as others requires a paradigm shift. The right leadership style could be one of the keys to breaking down the barriers to employee mental wellbeing. A deeper understanding of the role of leadership may help organisational leaders to foster an environment that promotes employee wellbeing just by being human.
and providing encouragement. Supportive leadership takes place when leaders do not simply delegate tasks and receive results, but instead support employees until a task is completed. Furthermore, with a high level of leader support, employees become more engaged in their work, as well as feeling less tension and anxiety than those with less leader support. This style of leadership enhances employee mental wellbeing and helps to protect them from tension, depression, emotional exhaustion and other health-related complaints. Authentic leadership An authentic leader can help to break down the barriers surrounding employees’ mental wellbeing, as they can make people around them feel at ease by being comforting and welcoming. This creates an open and transparent relationship with employees which is good for their mental wellbeing. The authentic leadership style inspires loyalty, honesty and trust, when leaders consistently display who they really are as a person and how they feel about the employees’ performance. Authentic leaders can also help to influence employee e ectiveness by setting high ethical and moral standards, reinforcing openness with sta and listening to their opinions and suggestions before making any final decisions.
Nazahah Rahim is director of the MBA programme at Othman Yeop Abdullah Graduate School of Business at the Universiti Utara Malaysia, where she works to create a positive and enriching educational experience for students, while ensuring that the course meets academic and industry standards. With over a decade of experience in the education industry, she is currently a senior lecturer and researcher with a keen interest in the areas of leadership, corporate social responsibility, sustainability and non- inancial reporting. She holds a PhD from the University of Gloucestershire
Ambition FEBRUARY 2024 | 37
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