Why Too Much Leadership Theory Can Lead You Away From Good Leadership
Leadership theory can be illuminating — but when we cling too tightly to models and frameworks, we risk losing the very thing that makes leadership effective: authenticity.
Too often, over the last 25 years, I see leaders trying to become a theory. They absorb the traits of transformational leadership, the steps of situational leadership, or the language of servant leadership — whatever is in vogue currently - but in doing so, they sometimes drift further away from who they truly are and how they naturally lead.
Let’s be clear: theories matter. They give us insight, language, and shared reference points. They help us reflect. But no single model can fully account for the lived complexity of you, your context, and your team. My clients know that invariably, my recommendation is to put the theory to one side!
Some of the most widely cited leadership theories that my clients often ask to know more about, include:
Transformational Leadership: Inspiring and motivating others through vision, purpose, and passion.
Servant Leadership: Prioritizing the growth and well-being of others before oneself.
Situational Leadership: Adapting your style to meet the readiness and needs of your team.
Authentic Leadership: Leading with self-awareness, transparency, and alignment with core values.
Transactional Leadership: Driving results through structure, rewards, and consequences.
Each of these can offer valuable insight — but none are complete. Leadership is not a formula. It’s not a checklist. It’s a relationship. And it’s dynamic. For me, this is a key insight when translating academic thinking to effective work based practice.
Why My “Inside Out” Approach Works Better
My work is grounded in an Inside Out philosophy: before adopting external frameworks, leaders must first connect with their own core identity — their values, their purpose, their patterns — and then understand how that self fits within their unique context. So often, Leaders don’t know themselves at all. Not really. But how can you ask someone else to follow you, when you don’t know who you are?
My approach is:
Systemic: It recognises the interdependence between the individual and the organisation.
Human: It honours emotional, psychological, and social complexity.
Pragmatic: It helps leaders build a leadership style that is not just theoretically sound — but sustainable, because it's real.
The Danger of Over-Theorising
Over-relying on leadership theory can:
Create inauthentic behaviour that feels forced or performative
Lead to imposter syndrome as leaders try to live up to an “ideal”
Disregard important contextual differences like culture, power dynamics, or personal histories
Undermine trust when followers sense a lack of congruence
Lead Authentically — Not (only) Academically
Ultimately, your leadership effectiveness isn’t judged by how closely you match a model — it’s measured by how people experience you. Are you clear, grounded, intentional? Are you able to respond — not just react? Do you have the capacity to hold challenge and ambiguity, while staying connected to your values?
The Inside Out approach helps you build that capacity — from the ground up, not the outside in. Because the best kind of leader isn’t a theory. It’s a fully resourced, self-aware, responsive human — leading in alignment with who they are, and where they are.