The Little Things Matter: Professor Julian Barling on What Makes Leadership Truly Effective

Barling emphasizes that leadership development must occur before individuals take on significant leadership responsibilities. He explains, "Too often, we see people being promoted into leadership roles without any prior training. It's like throwing someone into the deep end of the pool and expecting them to swim." Barling referenced evidence suggesting that leadership development is more effective than previously thought. “Christine Laserenza's meta-analysis shows that when leadership development includes face-to-face interactions and is tailored to the specific needs of the organization, it can lead to significant improvements in leadership behaviors and organizational outcomes."

The Impact of Mental Health on Leadership Behaviors

Professor Barling also offered insights concerning the impact of leaders’ mental health on their effectiveness. He notes that in the aftermath of the Covid-19 pandemic, "Leaders are facing unprecedented challenges, and their mental health is more important than ever. We need to provide leaders with the tools and resources they need to cope with stress and maintain their effectiveness. This means implementing regular check-ins and support systems to address their mental health needs. Encouraging open discussions about mental health and providing resources for support are crucial steps in maintaining effective leadership." Barling highlights the need for more attention and research in the area of leaders' mental health. “We're doing a much better job in organizations in terms of our research on employee mental health. But somehow, leaders got forgotten in the equation… We need to emphasize leaders’ mental health because they deserve it, because they're people, too.” He continues, “If we really want to ensure that organizations get the best leaders possible, it's not just trying to select the most resilient people. We have to put our efforts into helping them with their mental health.”

Small Actions in Leadership

In his teaching, Professor Barling emphasizes the importance of small actions in leadership. He believes that the best and worst of leadership are reflected in these small actions, which can have a lasting impact on individuals. "Leadership is not about big speeches; it's about the little things you do," he explains. Barling often asks participants to reflect on their past experiences with leaders and identify the small, impactful behaviors that define effective leadership.

Barling encourages participants to think about the smallest actions they can take to demonstrate ethical leadership or gratitude. For example, acknowledging a team member's effort or expressing concern for their well-being. “It's the small actions that can make a big difference. For example, making human care statements in communications can enhance organizational performance and morale. Companies in which there was at least one human care statement did better in the stock market. Demonstrating care for employees can create a positive and supportive work environment."

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Julian Barling is a Distinguished University Professor and the Borden Chair of Leadership in Queen’s University’s Smith School of Business. He is the author of over 200 articles, book chapters, and books including Brave New Workplace: Designing Productive, Healthy, and Safe Organizations and The Science of Leadership: Lessons from Research for Organizational Leaders. Julian is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada, the Society of Industrial and Organizational Psychology, the European Academy of Occupational Health Psychology, the Association for Psychological Science, and the Canadian Psychological Association. To learn more, check out his new CBT Workbook for Leaders.