Monash University Study Highlights Requirement For Simpler, Evidence-Based Leadership Development

The Monash University study will help organisations globally to streamline training programs, rethink leadership development, and ensure leaders have the skills needed for success.

Study in Australia: Researchers at Monash University and top international institutes have conducted a study on global leadership and revealed that the key to effective leadership is to 'keep it simple'.

Associate Professor Nathan Eva from the Department of Management at Monash Business School said, "The study revealed that many popular leadership styles, such as transformational, authentic and ethical leadership, share substantial overlap, questioning the need for fragmented style-specific frameworks. Our research demonstrates that leadership effectiveness is less about adopting a complex array of specific styles and more about fostering behaviours that build strong relationships with your team members."

“Our findings show that follower perceptions and affect toward their leader play a central role in determining leadership effectiveness. Leadership is as much about relationships as it is about behaviours. Rather than chasing the latest trend, organisations should focus on strengthening leaders’ existing behaviours that align with the organisations’ values and strategic goals. This approach not only simplifies leadership development but also ensures more consistent and meaningful outcomes," added Nathan Eva.

Associate Professor Joshua Howard co-author of the study said, “These findings call for leadership researchers and practitioners to rethink leadership training and measures. By focusing on the behaviours that matter, we can reduce complexity, improve outcomes, and foster more inclusive and resilient workplaces. This work pushes the field toward clarity and consolidation, ensuring leadership research and practice are more aligned and impactful.”

Monash University Study On Global Leadership Details

The study challenged the traditional approach of leadership frameworks and highlighted that effective leadership is simpler based on strong leader-follower relationships and it leads to more actionable paths for organisations and leaders.

The study evaluated 12 main leadership measures across participants from five countries. There were 4,000 participants who took part in the study. The study is the most comprehensive one and provides insights for practitioners, researchers, and organisations worldwide.

The study called for changes in how organisations, leaders and consultants approach leadership development. Organisations must build leadership behaviours which align with their values, leaders need to build good relations with team members for better team and organizational outcomes, says the study.

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