How do you adapt your leadership style based on people, not just results?

Leadership

Fabian Crosa

Community Champion

PMO Leader | Speaker & Mentor | Content Leader – PMOGA Latin America Hub| Catholic University of Uruguay Montevideo, Montevideo, Uruguay

In modern leadership, it is no longer enough to focus solely on achieving objectives and meeting metrics. The most effective leaders understand that each person on their team is unique: with different motivations, ways of learning, and ways of facing challenges. Adapting leadership style according to people involves flexibility, empathy and strong emotional intelligence.

Posted: May 13, 2025 4:54 PM

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Kimberly Whitby

PMI Team Member

Online Community Specialist| PMI Newtown Square, Pa, United States

Hi Fabian - this is a popular topic project managers may encounter on a daily basis . Here are some previous posts that may be of interest.

https://www.projectmanagement.com/discussi...-of-leadership-
https://www.projectmanagement.com/blog-pos...hy-and-practice
https://www.projectmanagement.com/articles...m-a-bad-leader-

Thanks for posting!

Posted: May 16, 2025 8:41 AM (Updated by author: May 16, 2025 8:52 AM)

Verónica Elizabeth Pozo Ruiz RYLAI Access Control Quito, Pichincha, Ecuador

An important way to adapt leadership to the team's needs is to adopt a directive style at the beginning of the project, as team members need clear guidelines and guidance regarding the activities to be carried out. As the project progresses, the team will adapt better and gain a deeper understanding of what is being done. Therefore, at this stage, the project manager must adopt a delegating and participative leadership style, trusting each person's abilities and allowing them to fulfill their role.
In addition, the project manager must be aware of the personality of each team member, adapting their communication style accordingly.

Posted: Jul 30, 2025 3:11 PM

Aaron Porter

Community Champion

IT Director| Blade HQ Payson, UT, United States

Being able to determine when NOT to adapt is just as important as adapting. Everyone has their own unique combination of personality, quirks, and expectations. Sometimes they need to change. It is, often, not in the PMs realm of authority to make someone change and you may have to work around them. I've had experiences where, after failing to get through to an individual, I had to work with the individual's manager to realize the needed change. Other times, an honest conversation got things back on track.

It can be difficult to stand your ground without seeming a little emotional when there's so much emphasis on being flexible and adaptable, but being adaptable does not mean rolling over. If you can learn when and how to stand your ground without negatively impacting relationships (this can be especially difficult with people who can't handle being told no, no matter how nicely you put it), you will have gained a skill that is possibly even more important than being adaptable, at least in some situations.

Posted: Jul 31, 2025 9:47 AM

Francisco Herrera

Community Champion

Program Manager, PPM&PMO Specialist.| Coppel, Mexico. Culiacán, Sinaloa, Mexico

Fabiam you've perfectly described the core principle of the Situational Leadership® model.

In my experience, having a practical framework is key. Situational Leadership moves this idea from a concept to an actionable strategy. It gives us a simple map to adapt our style—from Directing to Coaching, Supporting, and finally Delegating—based on a team member's competence and commitment for a specific task.

For me, it's been an invaluable tool not just for meeting objectives, but for building trust and proactively managing team engagement.

I hope this helps, Regards!

Posted: Jul 31, 2025 1:50 PM

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How do you adapt your leadership style based on people, not just results?

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