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| Cadets work together to safely navigate an obstacle on the field leader reaction course (Source) |
by Lauren Heller, MEd, MSW
Too often, Service Members or leaders think they need to make demands and have those they lead fall in line in order to make an impact. There’s a time and place for that, but another research-based approach to leadership is to be an autonomy-supportive leader. When using an autonomy-supportive approach, leaders emphasize the importance of independence in their collaborators or team members. Team members are encouraged to make their own choices, learn from their mistakes, and create a positive environment.
The benefits of the autonomy-supportive approach include forming positive relationships with your team members, creating a space for intrinsic motivation, improving performance, encouraging personal growth, and increasing overall well-being.
Once you've decided you want to build a culture of autonomy, there are several steps to help you instill those skills in your team members.
1. Self-reflection
It’s important to understand the power of self-reflection for yourself and to be able to teach members of your team how to reflect. As an autonomy-supportive leader, you want your collaborators to be able to think about what their values and goals are as well as how they feel about themselves. There are a variety of self-reflection tools to choose from to accomplish this goal.One option might be through a personal evaluation or survey, such as a life satisfaction scale. A personal evaluation or survey would be a helpful indicator for you as a leader to learn the specific needs of your individual team members—as well as their current level of well-being. After the self-evaluation, you might also have them fill out a team evaluation to identify current team needs—and what’s already being done that they want to see continued.
HPRC offers a number of Human Performance Optimization (HPO) tools you can use for self-reflection across multiple fitness domains.
- Mindset Diet Self-Check
- Nutrition Habits Self-check
- Sleep Habits Self-Check
- Social Fitness Self-Check
- Spiritual Readiness Self-Reflection
- Stress Mindset Self-Check
- Total Force Fitness Self-Check: My Wellness & Performance Inventory
Another way to reflect is through discussions and storytelling. Working in a high school gives me the opportunity to learn from my students and grow alongside them. Using the power of storytelling allows me to create a stronger connection and inspire my students. Having group discussions empowers my students to collaborate with each other, have contrasting perspectives, and enhance their communication skills.
HPRC’s article on the power of storytelling provides excellent tips to how you can apply storytelling with those you lead. Use HPRC’s Tell your Growth Narrative worksheet to help encourage discussion and storytelling.
2. Communication
Communication is key. In order to create positive relationships, leaders need to practice active listening and empathy. You want your team members to feel like they won't be judged and can express themselves freely. As a leader, you want to continuously offer support and encourage team members to keep being autonomous in their decision-making and behaviors no matter how many mistakes they make. Here are some tools to help you build relationships:- Active Constructive Responding (ACR)
- Build Group Trust with These 3 Tactics
- Team-Building Resource Guide
- Understand 7 Elements of Team Cohesion
- Validation: Show You're Listening—Even if you Disagree
3. Perspective
Both leaders and those they’re supporting can benefit from learning how to accept challenges and their mistakes. Challenges and mistakes are an opportunity to grow and be better next time rather than as an obstacle that stops us from moving forward.Leading with an autonomy-supportive approach is an extremely powerful tool that can put you and your team members on a path to success. Forming positive relationships, being intrinsically motivated, improving performance and personal growth, can enhance motivation and overall team satisfaction. The decision you make to embrace an autonomy-supportive leadership style can positively impact your future.
