Why Clear Communication Really Matters

Creating an environment where people can thrive and perform at their best is a key function of leadership.  A characteristic of such an environment is that people know two things: What is expected of them Where they stand In both cases, the onus is on the leader to give their people this knowledge with absolute...

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Kind Leadership Is About Clarity, Even When It Stings

Comment on the article by Josh Hayman, Managing Director (South Africa), Legitimate Leadership: We have saying at Legitimate Leadership: “Giving is not about being nice, it is about being appropriate”.  This article by Jeni-Anne Campbell illustrates this principle with clarity.  Conversations we have in organisations often highlight that leaders experience things like Care and being...

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Question of the Month – May 2026

Question: I feel like I communicate clearly, but my team says they’re confused. How do I fix this? Answer: As a Legitimate leader, communication is not only about what is said but also about what is heard, understood, and experienced by others. When a team says they are confused, it often indicates a gap between the...

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Exploring The Difference Between Delegation And Empowerment

The difference between delegation and empowerment lies in the level of control and autonomy given to the direct report. What Must A Leader Consider When Deciding Which To Use? Direct report knowledge and skills The amount of control and autonomy required The amount of control and autonomy the leader is willing to give. What Will...

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Are You A Multiplier Or A Diminisher?

Comment on the podcast by Ian Munro, CEO, Legitimate Leadership: At Legitimate Leadership we spend a lot of our time and energy highlighting the primary role of INTENT in establishing legitimacy for our leadership. This is as true today as it was nearly 40 years ago when the Legitimate Leadership Model was crystallising. It is also...

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Accountability – It’s A Giving Thing

Accountability works best when all parties come together with a giving mindset. But consider the typical situation: a direct report arrives at a performance review hoping to get maximum scores while ready to downplay less favourable aspects of their KPIs, all the while wondering what the manager’s evaluation says. The manager comes to the meeting,...

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Question of the Month – January 2026

 Question: At the beginning of a new year, what is the most important intention a leader should set to create the conditions for better relationships and performance? Answer: At the beginning of a new year, leaders often return refreshed, optimistic, and focused on the promise of improved results and renewed momentum. Employees likewise re-enter the organisation...

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80% Of Your People Don’t Want To Be At Work. Here’s What You Can Do About It.

According to Gallup’s State of the Global Workplace report, 80% of your people are either not fully engaged or actively disengaged from their work. Budgets are tight, pressure is up, and the next 12 months will be challenging for most organisations. I find that genuinely sad – not just because of what disengagement costs commercially,...

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Middle Managers Feel the Least Psychological Safety at Work

An article in the Harvard Business Review by Jan U. Hagen, a professor of management at ESMT Berlin, Germany, and Bin Zhao, a professor of management and organisation studies at Simon Fraser University’s Beedie School of Business in Vancouver, Canada. COMMENT ON THIS ARTICLE BY STEFAAN VAN DEN HEEVER, ASSOCIATE, LEGITIMATE LEADERSHIP: Psychological safety is a...

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Question of the Month – April 2026

Question: I delegate tasks, but I still end up redoing the work. What am I missing? Answer: Delegation and empowerment are often confused, but they are not the same skill. When we delegate, our thinking usually sounds like this: “Here’s the task list, and here’s when it needs to be done.” There are moments when...

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Why Clear Communication Really Matters

Creating an environment where people can thrive and perform at their best is a key function of leadership.  A characteristic of such an environment is that people know two things: What is expected of them Where they stand In both cases, the onus is on the leader to give their people this knowledge with absolute...

View full article