While we may be familiar with the concept of Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, we may not have realized its implication on leadership styles of the future. So how does this theory apply to the concept of leadership?
In 1943, Abraham Maslow proposed the theory of ‘hierarchy of human needs’, popularly known as the Maslow’s Pyramid. In essence, Maslow promulgated that humans have an ascending hierarchy of needs, each one of which has to be fulfilled, before the need on the next level of the pyramid is sought.
At the base of the pyramid are the ‘Basic Physiological’ needs like air, food, shelter, and sexual urges etc. which are essential for sheer survival and procreation. The next level is of ‘Safety’, which ranges from the need of a child to feel physically safe, to the need of an adult to have job security or economic safety in the form of savings, insurance etc. After safety, comes the need for ‘Social Belonging’ as part of a group. Our sense of identity, whether is it is belonging to a community, a school, a class, club, friends circle or a cohort at work, all stem from this need to belong. The fourth level of need is ‘Self Esteem’ which Maslow describes as the need to feel valued and respected both externally and internally. At the external level, this could be in the form of recognition by peers, awards and material achievements. At the internal level, this need manifests in the form of inner resilience, self-confidence and mastery over oneself.
The highest level in Maslow’s pyramid is the need for ‘Self-Actualization’. It is at this level that a person’s inner desire of achieving their full potential comes to the fore. So a well-qualified professional may decide to quit working because she wants to be an ideal parent. Another parent may neglect every other responsibility to self-actualize as a social worker. While we may be familiar with the concept of Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, we may not have realized its implication on leadership styles of the future.
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