Image from reallearning.com

By Dilanaz Ercan (24-25)

We’ve all been there. You wake up Monday morning, and your first thought is either “I’m excited to tackle this week” or “How can I get through another day with this manager?” The difference often comes down to one crucial factor: leadership style.

Recent research reveals a stark reality about UK workplaces. According to Gallup’s 2024 State of the Global Workplace report, only 21% of employees globally feel engaged at work, while in the UK specifically, employee engagement sits at just 10% (Gallup, 2025). Even more concerning, 82% of UK employees don’t trust their manager to tell the truth (People Insight, 2025). These statistics paint a troubling picture, but they also highlight an enormous opportunity for organizations willing to invest in better leadership.

The Research Behind Leadership Impact

My recent study, conducted with 15 UK employees across various industries, explored how different leadership styles impact day-to-day work experiences. What emerged was a clear pattern: the way managers lead doesn’t just influence productivity—it fundamentally shapes employee well-being, creativity, and job satisfaction.

The research identified three primary leadership approaches that employees encounter: transformational leaders who inspire and develop their teams, democratic leaders who involve employees in decision-making, and transactional leaders who focus on clear targets and rewards. Each style creates dramatically different workplace experiences.

Transformational Leadership: The Clear Winner

Transformational leadership consistently produced the most positive outcomes. These managers don’t just assign tasks—they create meaning. They help employees understand how their work contributes to something bigger and support individual growth through what researchers call “individualized consideration” (Bass & Avolio, 1994).

One participant described their transformational manager: “She doesn’t just tell us what to do, she explains why it matters and how our work contributes to something bigger. When I’m stuck on a problem, she asks questions that help me think differently rather than just giving me the answer.” This aligns perfectly with Self-Determination Theory, which shows that when employees feel autonomous, competent, and connected to others, they experience higher levels of intrinsic motivation and well-being (Deci & Ryan, 2000). Transformational leaders naturally support these psychological needs.

The Democratic Advantage

Democratic leadership showed strong positive effects, particularly in building psychological safety. When employees feel their voices are heard and their expertise valued, they become more invested in outcomes. The Job Demands-Resources model explains why this works: democratic leadership acts as a crucial job resource, helping employees manage workplace pressures while feeling empowered rather than controlled (Bakker & Demerouti, 2007). However, employees noted that while democratic leadership created steady engagement, it sometimes lacked the inspirational spark of transformational approaches.

The Limits of Transactional Leadership

Transactional leadership usually generates good results in the short term. There are clear mechanisms, that mobilize employees towards certain goals. Goals and rewards are completely clear to workers. However, most respondents indicated that there was an increase in workplace stress. They also had much lower personal control. One participant commented on transactional leadership patterns as follows: “You are always asking for desired results and responses.” Sometimes the approach seems overly mechanistic, however. This system doesn’t allow for a lot of creative thinking either. Transactional leadership clarifies and applies discipline to the workplace. At the same time, it reduces motivation and creativity. This result is consistent with motivational research. Extrinsic control takes away motivation and creativity (Ryan & Deci, 2000). Transaction systems can boost short term results in the long term, commitment, and sustainable performance decreases. Interior drives are weakened by being controlled from the outside.

The Context Matters

One interesting result of the study is that effectiveness of leadership is not only a matter of style, but heavily influenced by context. Experiences in leadership are affected by organizational culture, external pressure, and by individual preference. Transactional leadership can introduce order and predictability which may be useful in stressful situations (e.g., emergency services or finance). In contrast, workers in creative areas such as design or technology will have the optimal working conditions when leaders provide autonomy, inspiration, and the opportunity for creativity. Lastly, the best leaders are never distinguished by just one leadership style. Instead, they learn how to exercise the translation of transactional clarity to inspirational transformation in every colleague event and need. Leadership is therefore not a static model to be studied, but an elastic process that is dynamic and contextual.

What This Means for Organizations

Organizational context is critical to leadership effectiveness. Individual preferences and outside pressures are all important. Organizational culture can have a powerful impact on leadership style effectiveness. Transactional leadership is mostly effective in crisis situations. Emergency services and finance deal with predictability Creative industries need an entirely different style of leadership. Design and technology workers must be working autonomously. They work well under inspirational and transformational leadership. Great leaders never use one technique. They adjust their style to meet the needs of a colleague. They transform clarity of transaction to clarity of transformation. Leadership is a changing and situational process. It cannot be studied as a static model. The best leaders are agile and reactive.

The Bottom Line

With managers accounting for 70% of the variance in team engagement (Primeast, 2025), leadership isn’t just a nice-to-have—it’s a business-critical capability. The cost of poor leadership extends far beyond individual dissatisfaction. Disengaged employees are less productive, less innovative, more likely to leave, and more prone to stress-related health issues.

But here’s the encouraging news: leadership can be learned and improved. The employees I interviewed didn’t want superhuman managers—they wanted leaders who showed genuine interest in their development, communicated clearly about expectations and changes, and treated them as whole people rather than just resources.

In an era where talent retention is crucial and employee well-being is finally being recognized as fundamental to sustainable performance, investing in leadership development isn’t optional—it’s essential.

References

Bakker, A.B. & Demerouti, E. (2007) ‘The Job Demands-Resources model: state of the art’, Journal of Managerial Psychology, 22(3), pp. 309-328.

Bass, B.M. & Avolio, B.J. (1994) Improving organizational effectiveness through transformational leadership. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.

Deci, E.L. & Ryan, R.M. (2000) ‘The “what” and “why” of goal pursuits: Human needs and the self-determination of behavior’, Psychological Inquiry, 11(4), pp. 227-268.

Gallup (2025) State of the Global Workplace: 2025 Report. Available at: https://www.gallup.com/workplace/349484/state-of-the-global-workplace.aspx (Accessed: 29 August 2025).

People Insight (2025) Employee engagement statistics 2025. Available at: https://peopleinsight.co.uk/employee-engagement-statistics/ (Accessed: 29 August 2025).

Primeast (2025) 59 employee engagement statistics for 2025. Available at: https://primeast.com/insights/employee-engagement-statistics/ (Accessed: 29 August 2025).

Real Learning. (2022, November 15). What is your leadership style and how is it impacting performance? [Image]. Real Learning.      

What is your leadership style and how is it impacting performance?

By Natalie Giles (24-25)

Introduction

Career change has become increasingly common in today’s working life.  Many people aim to leave established careers in the hope of working in jobs that offer greater meaning, satisfaction and align better with their personal values.  Postgraduate study is often viewed as a route into these new careers, which offers the opportunity to gain new learning, professional integrity and entry into expert jobs.

Organisational Psychology (OP) is a growing area that attracts many people who are trying to make a career change from fields such as human resources, recruitment and management.  It is recognised to offer a combination of intellectually inspiring, evidence-based practice, with the opportunity to improve employees’ wellbeing and performance.  Although there is limited research that examines how postgraduate students actually experience this career change and whether the expectations they hold are met with the realities of entering OP roles.  

Exploring the Lived Experience

A qualitative research design was used to explore the lived experiences of people transitioning into OP through postgraduate study.  Ten students participated in semi-structured interviews consisting of 10 questions.  This consisted of seven women and three men, aged between 30 and 60, who had graduated more than five years ago. The interviews encouraged participants to reflect on their motivations, expectations, challenges and the realities of their career change.  The findings revealed three main themes, Career Change Expectations, Traversing the Career Change and Career Change Reality.

Key Findings

Career Change Expectations

Participants began their postgraduate study with optimism.  Many expected an easy, straightforward career change into OP where they could use their new learning to help organisational challenges, especially in areas including learning and development, wellbeing or culture change.  Student motivations were frequently based on values, authenticity, purpose and alignment with their personal and professional identity.

Some of the postgraduate students were seeking a resolution to unhappiness in previous careers, particularly in roles which lacked depth or meaning. The qualification was expected to provide knowledge and a new professional identity, which would lead to accessing new professional opportunities.  However, the student’s expectations often underestimated the challenges, including the ambiguity of OP roles and the competitiveness of the job market.

Traversing the Change

The students experienced the process of career change as difficult and complicated.  Participants recalled substantial financial implications, including loss of income, reduced job security and challenges regarding balancing study with family or prior work commitments.  Even after completing their postgraduate studies, many were confronted with few job opportunities or low-paid entry-level positions.

The barriers which the students faced were both structural and social.  A significant difficulty was the lack of clarity in OP job descriptions, with job titles differing largely and rarely referencing OP skills.  The role requirement of prior experience also created an issue due to candidates needing to gain OP experience to gain OP roles, yet there were limited opportunities to gain that experience.

Additionally, some participants reported encountering sexism, classism and contempt from employees with more experience in OP.  Those without an undergraduate degree in psychology sometimes felt particularly marginalised.  These barriers contributed to frustration and self-doubt, extending the career change period and challenging the participants’ sense of legitimacy.

Career Change Reality

The eventual reality was characterised by less straightforward entry into OP positions and more creative adaptation.  Many participants entered adjacent roles in HR r consultancy and then sought to incorporate OP principles into their work.  This process of job crafting allowed them to shape their responsibilities to reflect their training and interests.

Identity reconstruction was gradual.  While some initially avoided using the title Organisational Psychologist most eventually became more comfortable identifying with it.  Identity development was often internally validated through the application of OP concepts and values in practice, instead of externally recognised job titles.  Over time, the participants developed a stronger sense of belonging to the discipline, though often through indirect routes.

Practical Recommendations

This study carries important implications for stakeholders in education, employment and career development.

Universities and Educational Providers

Postgraduate programmes could provide realistic career examples, including up-to-date job market information, the variations in OP job titles and illustrations of typical career development routes.  Practical learning opportunities, including placements and consultancy projects, are vital in helping students bridge the gap in experience.  Supporting students with professional identity development could also be included in the programmes.

Employers and Professional Organisations

More clarity is required in defining OP roles and creating a structured process for entry into OP.  Employers need to recognise the importance of postgraduate training while guaranteeing fair access to opportunities for everyone.  Professional organisations could support new recruits through mentoring, networks and clearer communication about the opportunities in this field.

Prospective Students and Career Changers

Students need to anticipate indirect career change and be equipped for financial and professional challenges.  Having resilience, adaptability and job crafting skills will be crucial for success in this career change.  Building relevant experience during study, through internships, voluntary work or applied projects can help to bridge the gap between qualification and employment.

Conclusion

This research shows that changing career into OP through study is a complex and often non-linear process.  While participants were strongly motivated by values and a desire for meaningful work, their expectations of straightforward entry were rarely realised.  Alternatively, the career change needed financial awareness, resilience and the ability to craft roles.

This research explains that professional identity in OP is not only achieved through academic qualifications but is slowly created through practice, adjustment and reflection.  For postgraduate students, success is achieved by gaining knowledge and the ability to navigate ambiguity, overcoming structural barriers and developing a professional identity over time.

By highlighting both the difficulties and the strategies for overcoming career change, this research provides important recommendations for universities, employers and students.  It emphasises the requirement of realistic preparation, clearer routes into OP and inclusive practices to ensure that postgraduate study can be more closely associated with the realities of career changing into OP.

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