In today’s rapidly evolving business landscape, the old playbook of decisive, hierarchical leadership simply isn’t enough. Yet completely abandoning traditional leadership styles isn’t the answer either. According to IMD professor and social psychologist Jennifer Jordan, the most effective modern leaders master the art of navigating between seven key leadership tensions—knowing when to lean traditional and when to embrace emerging approaches.
The Power of Dynamic Leadership
Jordan’s research reveals that exceptional leaders don’t pick a side and stick with it. Instead, they fluidly move between what she calls “the seven tensions of the digital age.” These pairs represent the traditional versus emerging leadership styles:
Power Holder vs. Power Sharer: Sometimes teams need security and clear authority; other times they benefit from shared decision-making that develops talent and frees leaders for strategic work.
Tactician vs. Visionary: Breaking down immediate next steps serves teams differently than painting inspiring big-picture visions, depending on the moment’s needs.
Constant vs. Adapter: Maintaining clear non-negotiables provides stability, whilst adapting messages based on new information demonstrates strength, not weakness.
Perfectionist vs. Accelerator: Detail-oriented excellence has its place, but so does the “good enough, move fast” mentality when speed matters more than perfection.
Analyst vs. Intuitionist: Data-driven decisions and gut instincts both have value—brilliant leaders know when to deploy each.
Miner vs. Prospector: Deep expertise in specific areas balances beautifully with broad awareness of environmental opportunities and threats.
Teller vs. Listener: Giving direction and having answers serves teams differently than curious listening and learning from others.
Jordan highlights leaders who masterfully navigate these tensions. Angela Renz, former CEO of Burberry, exemplified the listener-teller balance. She openly admitted her knowledge gaps with millennials and digital trends, asking questions and learning from younger employees. Yet she also established non-negotiable elements of Burberry’s heritage and provided clear frameworks for innovation.
Mathias Dopfner of Axel Springer demonstrated the miner-prospector tension perfectly. He took his leadership team to Silicon Valley for six months, embracing start-up culture to understand industry disruption. Simultaneously, he identified areas of existing competency to double down on, divesting from areas where they lacked strength.
The Fear Factor
Most leaders who struggle with these tensions aren’t lacking skills—they’re paralysed by fear. Power-sharers worry about appearing authoritarian if they hold authority. Tacticians fear seeming “fluffy” if they articulate vision. These fears keep leaders trapped in narrow ranges, limiting their effectiveness.
Making It Practical
Jordan advises against trying to balance all seven tensions perfectly. Instead, identify three or four that matter most for your context and role. The key is developing emotional intelligence to read situations and people, then asking crucial questions: What’s happening in the environment? What are people around me feeling and needing right now?
The future belongs to leaders who can sway between traditional and emerging styles, providing exactly what their teams and organisations need in each moment. This isn’t about abandoning everything that made leaders successful in the past—it’s about expanding their repertoire for an increasingly complex world.
To fully grasp more about these leadership styles and how to implement them effectively, the Help to Grow Management Programme at Kingston Business School focuses exclusively on Leading Change in Module 8, providing practical frameworks for navigating these crucial tensions in today’s dynamic business environment.
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