So, the title is a tongue-twister, which makes sense as we now move deeper into the book. Developing World Class Leaders is a summary of all of the lessons learned while tackling leadership development head-on. It really is a peculiar world where so many pieces have to flow together in order for the organization at large to thrive, not just function.
Here’s a problem that pops up as often as weeds in a veggie garden: how do you get people to act on opportunities for improvement? As mentioned in the book, it really is like knowing a patient smokes cigarettes yet struggling to get them to drop the habit.
When people do things that are detrimental to their health, it often has an impact on far more than just themselves. The same principle carries over into the corporate environment, where the impact of one individual’s failure to improve ultimately poisons the team and causes issues for the department and company at large.
It is hard to act on a strategic vision when people aren’t bringing their best. It is difficult to put new challenges to rest when people simply either cannot or will not begin to make the changes necessary for growth. Is it always a matter of termination? Goodness, no; termination creates bigger problems. Acquiring great employees is more difficult than ever. It makes a lot more sense to retain and refine the employees that are already present.
At this point, we’ve covered assessments and how to act upon them. It’s time to address the problem from the other side: how do you plug peculiar performance gaps? They’re called peculiar here because they may not even be complete performance killers. But a problem doesn’t have to be a large problem to be still a problem worth solving.
There are three arenas to conquer. While it won’t be fast, the journey ahead will ensure better leadership development that is actionable, meets people where they are, and gets them moving again.
Sharpening the Technical
The technical is something easily understood by everyone: it’s the meat and potatoes of the position itself. Sharpening the technical is important, and this is where ongoing training really shines. Most of us have taken great training as it relates to our actual roles. However, it is important not to rest solely on technical competence. As mentioned earlier, there are three arenas to master.
Making Peace with Soft Skills
Soft skills get a bad rap in the business world. It’s almost as if we assume that soft skills are the weakest when the opposite is the reality. Soft skills are a strength that can propel leaders to the next level. In fact, it’s essential that soft skills are encouraged, explored, and cultivated to the fullest. We all have stories of leaders that lacked diplomacy or the ability to resolve conflicts skillfully.
Soft skills are at the heart of leadership development; refine them well.
Embracing Self-Insight as a Superpower
The last arena to conquer deals with the need for self-insight. In other words, it is that the builders of the leadership development program must also examine their own approaches.
- Are you examining your own biases, opportunities, and communication style? Sometimes it’s the messenger, not just the message.
- Set aside meaningful time to do this consistently. Whatever frequency works for you is what will make it actionable. Don’t promise yourself daily reviews if you don’t have time for that type of thing. Quarterly is fine.
- How are you going to capture the data needed to reflect appropriately?
Overall, every company will take the points in this month’s blog in a different direction based on their unique goals. That’s perfectly fine. The greater message here is that peculiarities in leadership development happen. Dan Ariely called humans “predictably irrational”, and in so many ways, he’s absolutely right. What we have to do is be realistic, observe, and make flexible plans that take this into consideration.
Leadership development, despite all of its twists, turns, singularities, and peculiarities, is truly a critical component of the business landscape. It’s here to stay, and we’re all the better for it.
Dive Deeper Into Refinement With Developing World Class Leaders: The Ultimate Guide to Leadership Development
Digging into the roots of better leadership development isn’t an easy journey. Yet it is absolutely essential for companies of all sizes.
Did you miss the deep dive on assessments? Check out the Strategic View of Hiring podcast episode, Exploring the World of Assessments.
Check out the book store and order a copy of Developing World Class Leaders: The Ultimate Guide to Leadership Development today.
To receive a copy of our Leadership Competency Inventory, complete with 64 competencies, just send an email.
Growth usually takes on one of two very distinct pathways: a linear path and an exponential one. The latter sounds great, right? Just pull a few levers and watch your organization reap the benefits of exponential growth, making all of your dreams come true. Wait till that next quarterly review, you’ll show them you mean business!
Except that isn’t the entire story, and consistent leadership development results are better than exponential growth that isn’t sustainable.
So why talk about exponential growth in the domain of creating better leaders in the workplace? Well, because it never hurts to have something to aspire to. It never hurts to see what can indeed happen when consistent action is scaled out. That’s the key to making leadership development a potent component in today’s fast paced business environment.
What does feedback really mean? We talk about feedback, but we know that not all feedback is created equal. Feedback should begin with empathy, which is truly understanding the other person's perspective. From there, we want to come forward with evidence that backs up the statements we're going to make to that person. Direct, professional, and straightforward is the name of the game here.
Feedback and accountability go hand in hand within the world of strategically assessing leadership strengths and weaknesses.
What Comprehensive Feedback Isn't
Sometimes it's important to highlight what something isn't before we can really start visualizing what it is constructively. If you want to build or even transform current feedback and accountability processes, here's what to avoid most:
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Relying on one assessment. There is no perfect assessment, and it's critical to avoid idolizing any assessment as the One True Measure of performance
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Keeping resources too narrow. This isn't about trying to use as few resources as possible. Pull out all of the tools and see what's reasonable in terms of the specific leader being refined for greater opportunities (the ultimate goal)
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Don't settle for just covering strengths and weaknesses in terms of Key Performance Indicators (KPIs). Full insight requires full analysis; KPIs are just a shortcut.
Collecting quantitative data is important, but don’t skip the opportunities to collect qualitative data along the way as well. For example,
Breaking Down Strategic Leadership Assessment - The Best Path Forward for Growth
In order to get the growth needed to stay competitive, it's time to go back to the drawing board. What does strategic leadership assessment look like in action? Well, the important point is that it begins with realizing the end goal: you're getting insight into an individual's makeup and identifying what their true strengths and weaknesses are. We're going back to the 3D Leadership model as one of the key foundational points of this plan.
Staying the Course
Motivation is a big topic in the business world because we're used to watching people quit. Why do people quit before they've reached the finish line? Sometimes it's a matter of not being able to visualize the end. Or perhaps it's not having enough milestones to reflect upon as they move deeper into their journey. Not everyone will finish their leadership development plan, or approach it with enthusiasm.
Reassurance isn't a bad thing, and it can help bolster morale to the point where employees buy back in. For entry-level employees, leadership development can feel impossible because they're starting their journey with a lot to cover. For the more seasoned leader, development often takes a "been there, done that" feeling.
Dive Deeper Into Refinement With Developing World Class Leaders: The Ultimate Guide to Leadership Development
Digging into the roots of better leadership development isn’t an easy journey. Yet it is absolutely essential for companies of all sizes.
Did you miss the deep dive on assessments? Check out the Strategic View of Hiring podcast episode, Exploring the World of Assessments.
Check out the book store and order a copy of Developing World Class Leaders: The Ultimate Guide to Leadership Development today.
To receive a copy of our Leadership Competency Inventory, complete with 64 competencies, just send an email.