Assessment – Leadership Impact | Origin: LS103R
This is a general discussion forum for the following learning topic:
Your Leadership Impact --> Assessment – Leadership Impact
Post what you've learned about this topic and how you intend to apply it. Feel free to post questions and comments too.
This module reshaped how I think about leadership in the most practical way possible. Before this course, I mostly thought about leadership as something I did — a set of behaviors, decisions, and communications I was responsible for delivering. What the interactional framework showed me is that leadership is actually something that happens between people, in a context — and no single piece of that equation operates in isolation.
The three components — leader, followers, and situation — each carry real weight, but the magic is in the overlap. That's where leadership actually lives. A great leader with disengaged followers will struggle. The right team in the wrong situation will produce frustration. And even the best situation can be wasted if the leader fails to communicate purpose or the followers are not invested. It's a system, not a solo act.
What struck me most was the research that development and retention of future leaders now outranks economic and business concerns for organizations today. That stat reframes the whole conversation about leadership impact. We are not just leading for today's outcomes — we are leading to shape tomorrow's leaders. Every interaction I have with my team, every environment I create, every piece of feedback I offer is either building the next generation of leaders or failing to.
A few things I plan to carry forward:
Invite followers into ownership. The Dancing with the Stars example was a small but powerful reminder that when people have a voice in leadership selection, they become more invested in outcomes. I want to build more of that into my decision-making processes — creating moments where my team's input genuinely shapes direction.
Lead with empathy. The statistic that 29% of employees specifically want leaders who act with more empathy is a quiet indictment of how much that is missing in modern workplaces. Empathy is not softness — it's strategy. It sustains trust, fosters hope, and keeps people anchored to their purpose.
Read the situation before applying a style. Leadership flexibility is not optional. The best leaders, as Goleman taught us, choose their style based on what the situation requires — not what feels most comfortable. I want to slow down more often and ask: what does this moment actually need from me?
Treat feedback as a profitable investment. The research showing 8.9% greater profitability from strengths-based feedback sessions reminds me that I need to receive feedback as much as I give it. Growth flows in both directions.
Leadership impact is not about being in charge — it's about being responsible for the space where a team does its best work. That's a weight worth carrying well.
I'd love to hear from others — which part of the framework (leader, followers, or situation) do you find yourself most often underestimating? And how do you stay attentive to the overlap between all three?
With Benevolence, Shannon
This is the first time i've seen Situation as an entity independent of Leader and Follower. I will use this in future analysis and preparation
To be a good leader, you must analyze each situation and adapt a style to connect with your followers to make the best impact.
A great leader has to be flexible and adaptable while keeping their vision in sight. The lesson mentioned being empathetic. I read that the difference between sympathy and empathy is the extent to which you experience the emotions and feelings of a person and their situation. With sympathy, you feel the impact for someone - you feel compassion and concern, but you may not necessarily share the same feeling in the moment. With empathy, you feel the impact with that person - you share the experience with them as if you are going through it yourself. I think a leader earns more trust and respect when they are empathetic because they create deeper and more meaningful connection with their team and the situation - good or bad. This better informs their thinking and decision making. They may still have to make hard decisions, but they make them with full understanding of the impact.
Leadership is impacted by your team(followers) as well as the situation.
Assessment of what is actually going on is necessary for the leader to make a correct decision. If the leader is not tied into the followers, the assessment will not be correct and as a result, a poor choice may be made.
The ability to adapt to the follower(s) needs in a given situation is paramount as a leader.
Effective leadership requires flexibility based on goals and situations pertaining to each circumstance individually. Effective leadership also requires self-discipline.
Leadership is comprised of three elements: leader, follower, and situation. Analyzing each component on its own can help to evaluate the quality of the leadership. Each element affects the others.
An effective leadership style in one environment may not work for another. Every setting will have its own unique needs and tendencies.
A leader’s style must be dynamic, adapting to both the situation and the needs of their followers in order to achieve the best possible results.
Leaders need to be flexible to adapt to the situation and the followers needs
I have learned that the leader is only perhaps one-third of a leadership scenario. You need to consider the followers as well. Also, someone who would be an excellent leader in combat might be a poor leader in managing a business. It caused me to think a lot more about my leadership right now.
I have learned how a different leadership style can directly correlate to the leadership impact with a team. It is important to be flexible and change and your team needs and as the situation needs.
I’ve learned that delegation will not necessarily encourage productivity.
Analyzing and listening to your team will give a leader insight into the most effective style for leading.
Effective leadership depend on the situation, the follower and the leader's style. The leader must be able to correctly assess a situation and adapt a leadership style that will inspire and motivate the followers to do their best work.
