People-based Leadership

Developing an ecosystem in which people can flourish requires an understanding of people. People-based leadership is about taking the time to learn about people, about what motivates them, their needs at work and how these can be met. Motivating and engaging your employees provides an advantage in meeting business outcomes.

It can be useful for leaders to utilise a model, such as self-determination theory, that helps them to understand the motivations of their employees on an individual basis.  

SELF-DETERMINATION THEORY

Self-determination theory was developed by Edward Deci and Richard Ryan in the 1980s and provides a simple and yet eloquent model for understanding human motivation and behaviour. Having been widely researched across cultures and industries, it provides a sound universal model with wide applications.¹ Self-Determination Theory argues that three basic human needs guide motivation and behaviour:

1. Competency – we all need to feel that we are competent and have the skills and tools required to do our jobs – from using new technology to pulling together an end-of-year financial report. We don’t like to feel as if we are ‘in over our heads’, that we don’t have the required skills and ability to do what is required of us. We also benefit from developing mastery of skills.
2. Autonomy – we need to feel that we have choices and a degree of autonomy as we go about our lives. We like to be the skipper of our own ship. We don’t like being told what to do in situations where we could realistically have steerage.
3. Relatedness – we need to feel that we belong, and that we are accepted, valued, respected and cherished by someone or some group. We are social creatures and it is not just about being part of a group; more than that, we want to feel that we are valued within the group and that we contribute in meaningful ways.

If you want to optimise performance and wellbeing, learning about these three elements both for yourself and for the people you lead can be revolutionary.

Ryan states that the three elements of competence, autonomy and relatedness are equally important.

My observation, however, has been that when there is disruption in either autonomy or competence, high relatedness can stabilise people and situations. For example, if significant organisational change is occurring, many people may feel a reduced sense of autonomy and/or competence. Reduced autonomy may be felt because they’re not in control of determining the amount or direction of change. Reduced competence may be felt because changes can affect roles and the specifics of work. People may also lack competence to manage the emotions around change. Strong relational connections with those making the decisions can help those affected by them feel safer and more willing to adapt. They can trust that it will be safe to express apprehensions, and that they will be supported if they acknowledge any shortfall in competency.

You can find more on this topic in The Ecosystem of Work.

 1.        Ryan, R.M. and E.L. Deci, Self-determination theory: Basic psychological needs in motivation, development, and wellness. 2017: Guilford Publications.