Clear leadership and expectations icon Clear leadership and expectations

Clarity about what workers are expected to do and how their work contributes to the organization. The most powerful leadership style is transformational leadership – where leaders inspire and motivate others to do more than what is expected through clearly demonstrating the organization’s mission, vision and purpose.

“All leaders must have two things: they must have a vision of the world that does not exist and they must have the ability to communicate it.” – Simon Sinek

Overview

What is clear leadership and expectations?

Clear leadership and expectations is present in an environment in which leadership is effective and provides sufficient support that helps workers know what they need to do, explains how their work contributes to the organization and discusses the nature and expected outcomes of impending changes. There are many types of leadership, each of which impacts psychological safety and health in different ways. The most widely accepted categorizations of leadership are instrumental, transactional and transformational. Of these, transformational leadership is considered the most powerful.

Instrumental leadership focuses primarily on producing outcomes, with little attention paid to the big picture, including the psychosocial dynamics within the organization, and unfortunately, the individual workers. Transformational leaders motivate others to do more than what is expected. They are concerned with long term objectives and transmit a sense of mission, vision and purpose. They have charisma, give individual consideration to their workers, stimulate intellectual capabilities and inspire others.

An organization with strong leadership and clear expectations would be able to state that:

  • In their jobs, workers know what they are expected to do.
  • Leadership in the workplace is effective.
  • Workers are informed about important changes at work in a timely manner.
  • Supervisors provide helpful feedback to workers on their expected and actual performance.
  • The organization provides clear, effective communication.

Clear leadership and expectations can directly impact the health of workers. Effective leadership increases morale, resiliency and trust, and decreases frustration and conflict. Skilled leadership enhances well-being, reduces sick leaves and reduces the number of early retirements with disability pensions. A leader who maintains their own physical and psychological health can influence the health of their team by reducing rates of sickness, absenteeism and presenteeism. Competent leaders also enhance the health of the organization as a whole through enhanced vitality and productivity.

Leaders who are more instrumental in their approach (rather than transformational) are more likely to find their staff complaining of general discomfort/illness, irritability or nervousness. Similarly, leaders who do not maintain their own physical and psychological health set a poor example for their staff and can undermine the purpose of organizational programs, policies and services intended to support workers. Middle managers are at greater risk, due to the fact that they must be leaders and be led at the same time. This may lead to increased feelings of powerlessness and stress.

FAQs

  • Emphasize the importance of an emotionally intelligent leadership style during considerations for advancement or promotion.
  • Support opportunities for regular communication and interaction between leaders and staff.
  • Ensure that workers clearly understand their tasks and responsibilities, and how their work contributes to the overall organization.

  • Begin a mentoring or job-shadowing program for leaders who are new to their position.
  • Provide training in leadership skills to those in supervisory roles.
  • Train managers in effective communication, emotional intelligence and problem-solving skills.
  • Orient new leaders to the organization’s culture and values.

  • Keep your staff informed on what is happening in the organization through regular newsletters, bulletins or intranet updates.
  • Ensure there is regular, open and helpful communication between managers and direct reports, particularly during times of change and uncertainty.
  • Hold regular staff meetings and ensure management attends.
  • Strive for direct, accurate and timely communication from senior management, particularly about difficult decisions (e.g. layoffs, terminations).

  • Review roles on a regular basis to keep in line with workplace goals and objectives, and to reduce unnecessary repetition.
  • Ensure that job descriptions are current, specific and agreed-upon by relevant staff.
  • Create and communicate clear expectations for people leaders’ behaviour, using accountability agreements as needed.
  • Conduct regular performance check-ins and reviews for all staff (including management) that includes collaborative and two-way feedback.

  • Check-in regularly to ensure that workers feel they know what to do. If they do not, resolve these issues by providing clear direction and support.
  • Ensure staff involvement in decision-making whenever possible. Where not possible, provide information about upcoming changes in the work environment in a timely manner. For the best results, inform staff prior to the changes taking place, so they can anticipate and prepare.
  • Schedule time for regular one-on-ones between leaders and direct reports to provide helpful feedback on their expected and actual performance.
  • Ensure the organization as a whole provides clear, effective communication at all levels.

Action

Next steps: Ensuring clear leadership and expectations in the work environment

A work environment where there is effective leadership and support to help employees know what they need to do, how their work contributes to the organization and whether there are impending changes.

  • employees have clear expectations regarding job responsibilities and roles
  • positive employee morale and resiliency, particularly during times of stress and change
  • reduced employee frustration and conflict
  • enhanced trust in the organization and its leaders

  • Do issues related to clear leadership and expectations present a greater risk to particular groups of employees (e.g. new employees, certain jobs, shift workers, etc.)?
  • What are the strengths in your workplace in terms of clear leadership and expectations (e.g. what do you do well and what should you continue doing)?
  • What could your workplace do to improve in this area (e.g. what could you do more of and what could you do less of)?
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Clear Leadership and Expectations is psychosocial factor 3 from CAN/CSA-Z1003-13/BNQ 9700-803/2013 – Psychological Health and Safety in the Workplace. Retrieved from: https://www.csagroup.org/article/cancsa-z1003-13-bnq-9700-803-2013-r2018/. See also Guarding Minds at Work (Samra et al.): Retrieved from https://www.guardingmindsatwork.ca/resources.