Johtotapa

Johtotapa is a Finnish term describing the leadership approach or management style that a leader or organization uses to guide, motivate, and interact with people. It encompasses the habitual ways of decision making, communication, delegation, feedback, and accountability that characterize leadership in a given context.

A johtotapa is typically shaped by values, organizational policies, and the broader culture of the workplace. It affects daily work life, employee engagement, performance, and psychological safety. Because it is practiced rather than only stated, it can be observed in how meetings are conducted, how conflicts are handled, how information is shared, and how responsibility is allocated across levels of the organization.

Common elements of a johtotapa include how leaders communicate (clarity, openness, listening), how decisions are made (participative versus directive), how feedback is given and received, how work is allocated and delegated, and how ethics and compliance are integrated into everyday actions. Finnish discussions of leadership often emphasize equality, trust, and a learning-oriented environment, but actual practices vary between organizations and industries. Contemporary johtotapas may incorporate elements of participative, transformational, servant, or distributed leadership, or blend several approaches to fit the organizational goals and context.

Implementation occurs through policy, training, performance management, and leadership development programs, with ongoing assessment based on outcomes, employee feedback, and culture indicators. Johtotapa is thus both a lived practice and a strategic aspect of organizational governance.