“There is nothing, absolutely nothing, more important than meeting our basic human needs.” — Simon Cohen

In 1943 psychologist Abraham Maslow coined the idea of The Hierarchy of Human Needs, and how human motivation and behavior can be mapped to these needs.

At the most basic level, we have biological needs — food, shelter, warmth, and safety.

Once our basic needs are met, we develop psychological needs — such as love, belonging, and esteem.

Finally, as we continue to ascend our life’s development ladder, we reach the highest tier of needs — those of self-actualization. These include self-fulfillment, personal growth, and reaching the peak of our potential.

Leadership, much like human development, can be understood through the lens of Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs.

In this article, I will discuss Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs in Leadership, and how leaders can navigate these to better understand and appreciate their roles as leaders.

1. Personal Mastery

“One can have no smaller or greater mastery than the mastery of oneself.” — Leonardo da Vinci

As a leader, at the foundational level, you must meet the basic needs for personal mastery.

These form your physiological needs, and include the necessary skills and knowledge to get your job done. You must know your job, your domain, and your industry.

In The 3 C’s of Great Leadership, I discussed how Competence is a critical attribute of great leaders. You must build your expertise, and continue to invest in self-improvement, skill development, and growth.

Depending on your level and role, you may need to focus on technical leadership, tactical execution, or strategic planning.

Personal mastery also includes self-awareness, and the recognition and appreciation of your strengths, weaknesses, and motivations.

To gain personal mastery, you should:

• Build your expertise in your field, domain, industry
• Continue to develop your skills and deepen your expertise
• Be self-aware and recognize your strengths and weaknesses

2. Trust

“You build trust with others each time you choose integrity over image, truth over convenience, or honor over personal gain.” — John C. Maxwell

Once you have acquired personal mastery, you move up to the next level of needs for any leader — fostering trust.

Just as individuals seek safety and security in their lives, leaders must create a sense of security and stability in their teams.

In The Five Dysfunctions of a Team, Patrick Lencioni talks about how the Absence of Trust sits at the core of a dysfunctional team.

As a leader, you must create a supportive environment by fostering trust so your team members feel valued and respected. You must actively mine for hidden conflicts, and ensure your teams trust each other and hold each other accountable.

You need to create an environment of psychological safety, where your team members feel safe to voice their thoughts and opinions, and are willing to take risks.

To foster trust, you should:

• Create an environment of trust and psychological safety
• Encourage thoughtful and objective disagreements
• Be authentic and transparent in your communication

3. Belonging

“A sense of belonging is one of humanity’s deepest longing.” -Brené Brown

As humans, we are social beings, and the next level in the hierarchy of needs for a leader is belonging.

As a leader, you need to cultivate a sense of belonging in your team, which includes fostering a sense of community, collaboration, and inclusivity.

You need to value each individual in your team as they are, and celebrate the diversity of thoughts and ideas. You need to make sure they feel part of a team, and that they feel comfortable working together towards the common business goals.

You can do this with intentional gatherings, celebrating successes, and creating opportunities for the team members to bond and get to know each other.

Creating a sense of belonging will not only lift the engagement level for your team, but also improve the business results and impact.

To foster a sense of community, you should:

• Promote inclusivity and celebrate diversity of thoughts and ideas
• Encourage collaboration and team bonding through intentional gatherings
• Work towards a one-team mindset

4. Recognition

“People work for money, but go the extra mile for recognition, praise and rewards.” — Dale Carnegie

The next level in the hierarchy of needs for leaders is recognition, which satisfies the self-esteem needs of their teams.

Who doesn’t like to be recognized and rewarded for their work?

As a leader, you need to acknowledge and celebrate individual and team accomplishments. This not only motivates them, but energizes them to do even more and aim higher.

You need to cultivate a culture of recognition, where efforts are noticed and contributions are valued.

To promote a culture of recognition, you should:

• Celebrate accomplishments, both individual and team
• Encourage team members to take on bigger challenges
• Provide regular feedback to your team members

5. Vision

“A vision is not just a picture of what could be; it is an appeal to our better selves, a call to become something more.” — Rosabeth Moss Kanter

You have achieved personal mastery, and have built a culture of trust, belonging, and recognition in your team.

What next?

At the very top of the hierarchy of needs lies the need for self-fulfillment and self-actualization, and leaders can fulfill that with a compelling vision and purpose.

You need to challenge the status quo, and provide opportunities for your team members to use their creative energies to drive innovation.

You need to empower your team members to take on challenging tasks, nurture potential future leaders, and prepare your organization to counter external threats and competition.

At the highest level, you need to foster a sense of meaning and purpose, and inspire your team members to realize their full potential.

To foster a sense of purpose, you should:

• Create and articulate a compelling vision of the future
• Drive innovation by challenging the status quo and encouraging risk-taking
• Keep an eye on the competitive environment, and take steps to stay ahead of the curve

In Summary: Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs in Leadership

In this article, we reviewed Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs in Leadership:

1. Physiological needs: Personal Mastery. At the most basic level, leaders must meet the need for Personal Mastery. This includes building the knowledge and skills to get the job done, and continuously learning and gaining expertise in the field.
2. Safety needs: Trust. To provide for a safe and secure environment, leaders must foster trust and psychological safety in their organization to promote open dialogue and risk-taking.
3. Social needs: Belonging. Leaders must foster a sense of belonging by providing opportunities for their teams to bond and work together towards common goals.
4. Self-esteem needs: Recognition. Leaders must create a culture of recognition where great work is valued and promoted.
5. Self-fulfillment needs: Vision. At the highest level, leaders must rally their teams towards a compelling vision, and provide opportunities for them to reach their full potential.