Full Range Leadership Model (FRLM)

Leadership influences everything — direction, culture, performance, and people’s development. The Full Range Leadership Model (FRLM) describes the entire spectrum of leadership behaviors, from passive and reactive to active, developmental, and transformational. The model shows that leadership is not a style, but a system of behaviors that — when combined effectively — creates both results and sustainability.

FRLM helps organizations understand how leadership actually functions in everyday work and which behaviors are required to build teams that take responsibility, grow, and perform over time.

How do you create leadership that drives both results and development?

Today’s working life is characterized by rapid change, high demands, and complex challenges. This requires leaders to shift between structure and inspiration, clarity and development, expectations and support. FRLM provides a concrete map for how leaders can act in different situations — and what happens when they do not.

The model is not about choosing a style, but about understanding the full range of leadership behaviors. This requires leaders who are aware, present, and courageous enough to both set direction and develop people.

At its core, FRLM is about building a culture where leadership creates clarity, accountability, and motivation — for individuals, teams, and the organization.

Why FRLM is business-critical

FRLM is business-critical because leadership behaviors directly affect performance, engagement, and culture. Passive or unclear leadership leads to frustration, inefficiency, and reduced accountability. Clear and developmental leadership, on the other hand, creates direction, energy, and long-term capacity.

When leaders understand why the full range of leadership is essential, their priorities change. It is not about “being inspirational,” but about creating structures and behaviors that enable people to deliver quality, think differently, and take responsibility.

FRLM — understanding the levels and their consequences

Laissez-faire — absence of leadership

The most passive and risky form of leadership. Here, the leader avoids decisions, responsibility, and dialogue. The consequences are lack of clarity, low trust, and reduced motivation.

Early warning signs may include:

• unclear roles
• slow decision-making
• avoidant behavior
• lack of prioritization

When laissez-faire leadership takes hold, both performance and the work environment are negatively affected.

Transactional leadership — structure, clarity, and expectations

Transactional leadership is about creating order and discipline. It is based on goals, follow-up, rewards, and consequences.

It is necessary to create:

• clarity
• predictability
• accountability
• stability

However, it is not sufficient to drive engagement, innovation, or long-term development.

Transformational leadership — motivation, development, and culture

The most powerful and developmental form of leadership. Transformational leadership is built on four core behaviors:

• Idealized influence — the leader acts as a role model and builds trust.
• Inspirational motivation — the leader creates meaning, direction, and energy.
• Intellectual stimulation — the leader encourages new thinking and learning.
• Individualized consideration — the leader coaches, develops, and sees each person.

This is where organizations move from “functional” to “exceptional.”

FRLM in practice — balance, clarity, and development

FRLM is about concrete behaviors in everyday work. It involves:

• creating clarity around goals and expectations
• following up and providing constructive feedback
• developing people through coaching and support
• challenging the team to think differently and take responsibility
• being present and acting when something is not working

Leaders need to be able to shift between structure and inspiration — and understand when each behavior is required. When leaders use the full range, a culture is created where people both perform and develop.

Development — building the full capacity of leadership

FRLM is not just about avoiding passivity — it is about developing leaders who can consciously use the entire model. This means strengthening the ability to:

• lead with clarity and structure
• create motivation and meaning
• coach and develop individuals
• drive innovation and learning
• build teams that take responsibility and collaborate

Training, reflection, and continuous practice are essential components. When leaders gain tools to understand and apply FRLM, performance, engagement, and organizational resilience all increase.

The role of leadership — courage, awareness, and responsibility

FRLM places high demands on leaders. It requires courage to take responsibility, courage to challenge, and courage to develop both oneself and others. It requires presence to see what the team needs — structure, support, or inspiration. And it requires accountability for creating a work environment where people can succeed.

Leaders who develop these behaviors build teams that perform better, develop faster, and endure longer. They create a culture where clarity and development go hand in hand. They demonstrate that leadership is not a role — but an active behavior that shapes the entire organization.

Frequently asked questions

Is transformational leadership always best? No. It depends on the situation. In some cases, structure and clarity are required; in others, inspiration and development.

How do you know if a leader uses laissez-faire leadership? By observing a lack of decisions, unclear expectations, avoidant behavior, and insufficient follow-up.

What is the most common mistake in FRLM? Believing that transformational leadership replaces transactional leadership — when in fact they complement each other.

How do you create a culture that supports FRLM? Through clear expectations, shared ground rules, continuous development, and leadership that leads by example.

How can leaders develop their ability to use the entire model? Through training, coaching, feedback, and regular reflection in everyday work.

Contact us

Contact us if you want to develop your leadership based on models such as FRLM and need:

• Training in the Full Range Leadership Model and other evidence-based leadership models
• Support in developing a coaching leadership approach that strengthens accountability, motivation, and self-leadership
• Training in identifying and understanding different leadership behaviors — and how they affect culture, performance, and the work environment
• Coaching for leaders in shifting between transactional and transformational leadership
• Facilitation of team dialogues around accountability, collaboration, and everyday behaviors
• Leadership programs that build awareness, courage, and the ability to lead in complexity
• Support in designing ways of working and structures that strengthen clarity, development, and long-term capacity