3 key areas of effective leadership according to ILM72 - how to develop the potential of a leader and a team?

Aldona Gaudyn

11 November 2025

According to the recognized diagnostic model ILM72, effective leadership is based on conscious and balanced management of three areas: purpose (task), employee (individual), and team. Harmonious development of these three pillars allows a leader to build authority and trust, while the team gains greater engagement, better communication, and flexibility in the face of challenges.

Contemporary leadership is much more than just accounting for KPIs, setting goals, and routine task delegation. It is primarily about consciously managing interpersonal dynamics while maintaining a focus on business outcomes.

The ILM72 model greatly helps in precisely diagnosing what truly drives success in an organization. This tool shows that outstanding leaders can maintain a balance between three key areas of focus.

1. Focus on purpose, which means clarity and direction of action.

An effective leader knows where their team is heading and can communicate that vision clearly, measurably, and inspiringly. Insufficient attention to this area causes even the most cohesive team to start acting chaotically, and their engagement drastically decreases.

What does a strong focus on purpose provide?

- enables quick and accurate prioritization of actions in a changing business environment.

- motivates employees to strive together in one direction.

- helps objectively measure progress and achieve specific financial or project results.

2. Focus on the employee, which means individual support and development.

Each team member is a different, complex individual. They have different strengths, varying levels of mental resilience, their own needs, and unique motivators. A leader who notices these differences and flexibly adjusts their management style (e.g., based on the DiSC model or Gallup strengths) quickly gains loyalty.

Focusing on the employee in practice means:

- actively listening and authentically understanding individual challenges.

- supporting development and providing a safe space for skills growth.

- building a sense of value and organizational belonging.

As a result, employees feel appreciated and motivated, which directly translates into higher work efficiency.

3. Focus on the team, which means collaboration and culture.

Even a group of outstanding individuals will not achieve success without proper cohesion. A leader must ensure that the team operates like a well-oiled machine, where every gear works with the others. Focusing on the team helps break information isolation and builds a sense of shared responsibility.

What does work in this area involve?

- building a culture of collaboration and trust based on psychological safety.

- ongoing, constructive conflict resolution and clearing communication channels.

- creating an inclusive environment where diversity of opinions and action styles becomes the greatest strength.

How does working on these three areas affect the effectiveness of the leader and the team?

Perspective

The most important benefits of implementing a balanced model.

For the Leader

Gains deepself-awareness of their own strengths and areas for development. Strengthens their role as a mentor and coordinator. Builds authentic authority that facilitates crisis management.

For the Team

Motivation increases as people feel that their work makes sense. Communication improves, leading to better results. Teamresilience increases, allowing it to better cope with stress, challenges, and market changes.

True effectiveness arises from balance.

Effective leadership is a continuous balancing act. The ILM72 model reminds us that favoring one area, such as delivering results, at the expense of relationships will quickly lead to burnout and turnover within the team. Working on each of the three pillars is the path to higher business effectiveness and greater job satisfaction.

Do you want to strengthen your leadership skills?

Are you managing a team and looking for ways to optimize its work? As an executive coach, I help management build self-awareness, enhance leadership skills, and support teamwork in corporate environments.

In my development processes, I successfully use the ILM72 assessment, which allows for a quick diagnosis of your dominant management style and planning precise developmental steps. I invite you to an initial individual consultation to see how we can jointly enhance your leadership effectiveness.

Do you want to learn more, schedule a meeting or have a conversation?

Contact me

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TowardsYou Aldona Gaudyn

ul. Rubież 14B/7

61-612 Poznań

VAT no. PL6652660725

phone no. (+48) 502-202-625

e-mail: kontakt@towardsyou.pl

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