In the management of people with different attitudes and approaches to issues, leaders must understand the burden of treating team members based on their individuality. This will require the art of fairness. A lot of leaders operate under the flawed assumption that fairness means uniformity. Their understanding is treating every team member identically. However, as seasoned leaders, true equity lies not in sameness but in recognising and responding to individuality. Leadership demands discernment: the wisdom to recognise that fairness means giving each person what they need to succeed, not giving everyone identical treatment. It demands that you understand the peculiar nature of each of the team members. Each person differs from the other person.
Each member of the team brings distinct abilities, communication styles, motivational triggers, and growth patterns that a perceptive leader must recognise and engage. Former PepsiCo CEO Indra Nooyi exemplified this awareness throughout her tenure. Rather than applying a one-size-fits-all approach to executive development, she created individualised growth plans for her leadership team. She understood that some executives thrived with public recognition while others preferred private acknowledgement; some needed frequent check-ins while others performed better with autonomy. By tailoring her leadership approach to these individual preferences, Nooyi cultivated one of the most effective and stable executive teams in the industry. Her approach extended beyond the executive suite. She implemented company-wide initiatives that recognised different motivational profiles and work styles across the organisation. This personalised approach to leadership contributed significantly to PepsiCo’s consistent performance under her guidance.
The uniqueness of each member of the team is a strategic advantage if the leader understands how to explore it. Effective leadership requires leveraging the peculiarity of each one for the purpose of achieving the team’s goal. This perspective transforms differences from challenges to be managed into assets to be deployed.
A cornerstone of the individualised leadership approach is recognising that development paths should be as unique as the team members themselves. Netflix CEO Reed Hastings revolutionised talent development by rejecting conventional wisdom about standardised career ladders. Instead of creating uniform progression paths, Netflix encourages managers to have candid, individualised conversations about what each person needs to grow. Some employees might need additional responsibility, others specialised training, and still others might benefit from lateral moves that broaden their expertise. This personalised approach to development acknowledges that growth isn’t linear or identical across individuals. By tailoring development opportunities to specific needs and strengths, Netflix has built a remarkably adaptive workforce that has successfully navigated multiple industry transformations.
Leading with fairness and understanding individual needs requires exceptional listening skills. Leaders cannot tailor their approach without first understanding the unique makeup of each team member. Marc Benioff, founder and CEO of Salesforce, institutionalised listening as a leadership practice through his “V2MOM” system (Vision, Values, Methods, Obstacles, and Measures). Rather than assuming he understood what motivated his rapidly growing team, Benioff implemented structured listening sessions where he could understand individual perspectives, concerns, and aspirations. When Salesforce acquired companies like ExactTarget and Tableau, Benioff didn’t impose a standardised integration approach. Instead, he spent significant time listening to the leadership and employees of these organisations to understand their unique cultures and concerns. This listening-first approach allowed Salesforce to preserve the distinctive strengths of acquired companies while integrating them into the broader organisation. This is a capability that has become a competitive advantage in Salesforce’s growth strategy.
Three practical ways of applying individualised leadership
- Create personalised motivation profiles: Mary Barra, CEO of General Motors, worked with her executive team to identify what specifically motivated each leader: professional development, public recognition, challenging assignments, or work-life flexibility. She then tailored her interactions accordingly. This resulted in remarkably low turnover during GM’s challenging transformation period.
- Customise communication styles: Alan Mulally, during his successful tenure as Ford’s CEO, recognised that his leadership team processed information differently. Some executives needed detailed background materials well in advance, while others preferred concise summaries. Some communicated best in group settings, others in one-on-one conversations. By adapting his communication approach to these individual preferences, Mulally created unprecedented alignment during Ford’s remarkable turnaround.
- Tailor feedback mechanisms: Adobe famously abandoned standardised annual reviews in favour of regular “check-in” conversations that could be customised to individual development needs and work styles. This shift recognised that feedback effectiveness depends on tailoring both content and delivery to the individual recipient. This principle has since been adopted by numerous other organisations.
Effective leadership requires recognising and responding to the uniqueness of each team member. By treating everyone fairly but not identically, leaders unlock potential that standardised approaches leave dormant. As you lead your own team, remember that true fairness isn’t found in rigid uniformity but in responsive individuality. Listen attentively to understand each person’s distinctive needs and motivations.
Oluwole Dada is the General Manager at SecureID Limited, Africa’s largest smart card manufacturing plant in Lagos, Nigeria.
