Autonomy Supportive Leadership Model
Match leadership support to skill and temperament
This framework applies developmental principles to leadership by tailoring support to an individual’s current ability and disposition. It emphasizes autonomy-supportive leadership: letting people do what they can already do, guiding what they can almost do, and modeling what they can’t yet do. This builds competence, confidence, and trust while avoiding micromanagement or under-support.
- Support should match current capability, not potential
- Temperament influences how much structure someone needs
- Leadership is scaffolding, not controlling
- Evaluate the individual’s current competence and temperament (orchid vsEvaluate the individual’s current competence and temperament (orchid vs. dandelion).
- Allow autonomy in areas where they are already capableAllow autonomy in areas where they are already capable.
- Provide guidance and encouragement for skills they are developingProvide guidance and encouragement for skills they are developing.
- Model and directly teach skills they are not yet…Model and directly teach skills they are not yet ready to attempt.
A founder gives full autonomy to a chief of staff but provides structured feedback to a junior team member.
A manager notices a sensitive employee (orchid) needs more reassurance than a resilient one (dandelion) and adjusts support accordingly.
A leader lets a proven team member run a project independently but co-creates the plan with a newer hire.
Extracted from Young and Profiting