A Little More Rigidity: Firming the Construct of Leader Flexibility

Abstract

Scholars and practitioners have identified leader flexibility as a determinant of leader emergence and effectiveness. Yet the existing literature on leader flexibility describes it as a general capacity to respond well to situational requirements. Described as a general capacity, it is difficult for leaders to consider specific strategies to develop flexibility. By looking at flexibilities (e.g. cognitive, emotional, and interpersonal) available in other literatures, we can deepen our understanding of the multi-dimensionality of leader flexibility. The purpose of this article is to: (a) introduce various specific flexibilities found within the broader psychological literature, (b) integrate these with leader flexibility, (c) identify thematic patterns across the specific flexibilities, in order to (d) construct a general framework to better understand leader flexibility. The article contributes to the literature by offering a detailed and nuanced version of the flexibility construct as it applies to leadership. It provides specific types of flexibility for leaders to consider in their development.

Relationship Between Leadership, Resilience, and Competence Amongst Police Officers in Klang Valley, Malaysia

“…Flexibility is defined as being parallel with internal trends intended to make the right changes in order to develop the competencies needed by an organization (Charles, 2013). On the other hand, a flexible leadership style refers to the way leaders interpret situational clues and adjust their decisions, behaviors, and actions to achieve desired goals (Good & Sharma, 2010;Baron et al, 2018;Yukl & Mahsud, 2010;Yukl, 2012). In fact, career development has a significant relationship with competencies in job performance and leadership roles and qualities (Bakri et al, 2009).…”

‘Killing Me Softly With His/Her Song’: How Leaders Dismantle Followers’ Sense of Work Meaningfulness

“…Here, as a central example, we focus on behaviors that highlight leaders’ rigid and inflexible behaviors. Several facets of inflexibility and rigidity that pertain to leadership are introduced in the organizational literature ( Good and Sharma, 2010 ). In our conceptual model, we discuss two specific facets that we estimate to moderate the effects of leaders’ meaning making attempts on followers’ sense of meaning.…”

“…Cognitive flexibility is defined as the ability to shift attention in order to respond to the environment in a new way ( Good and Sharma, 2010 ). Leaders low on cognitive flexibility struggle to overcome their fixed mental schemas and are unable to come up with situation appropriate responses.…”

Paradoxical Leadership and the Competing Values Framework

“…Ambidexterity can be understood as a form of managerial and organizational flexibility. Ambidexterity has been a topic of ongoing attention (Good & Sharma, 2010; Kaiser, Lindberg, & Craig, 2007; Zaccaro, Foti, & Kenny, 1991; Zaccaro, Gilbert, Thor, & Mumford, 1991). Birkinshaw and Gupta (2013) define ambidexterity as “an organization’s capacity to address two organizationally incompatible objectives equally well” (p. 291).…”