A Model for Leader Self-Development

Organizations in the U.S. spend billions each year (SHRM reports say $9B in 2009¹) for educational or experiential interventions to develop leaders. There are many ways to approach the development process, but I like the framework outlined by Snook, Nohria and Khurana identified as "Know, Do [and] Be." That is, "to be successful, there are certain things leaders must know (knowledge), certain things they must be able to do (skills) and certain ways they must be (character, identity, world view)"(p. XV)². This framework has been translated by development organizations into a range of interventions designed to attack one or more of these issues.

Many interventions share a combination of classroom and experiential exercises ranging from one to five days in length. Some extend the process beyond the class session. For example,  I wrote a letter to myself that outlined what I learned about leadership during a course I was in. The development organization held onto the letter and mailed it to me 6 months later.

These classroom sessions often try to help the learner visualize effective leadership and its basic principles (e.g. being genuine). Sometimes models developed by scholars are used to help the learner connect the correct behaviors to the worker and situation (e.g. Situational Leadership Model described in an earlier blog post⁹). The classroom sessions can also be combined with role-plays and other types of exercises.

While all the approaches work to incorporate the "Know, Do, Be" perspective, some are decidedly more focused on one or more components. For example, the know component may use a combination of a lecture, discussion and exercises. The learner may participate by sharing ideas and experiences in a round-robin format. Some training events may spotlight the leader's self-awareness. Awareness sessions can use a "shock and learn" technique. For example, a 360-degree feedback instrument can help the leader realize how his/her leadership is received. I experienced this directly and found it quite "painful," especially as it became apparent that what I was doing as a leader was hindering and not helping. This introduced valuable input and helped me recognize the need for change. 

I recall another experience that was designed to illuminate how I carried myself when dealing with others. The tool was called "red light/green light." I was in front of a room of fellow learners and posed questions to the group ("Would you work for me?"). The group confidentially answered by pushing a red button (indicating no) or green button (indicating yes).  It was a real eye opener when I received several red lights. After that experience, I began monitoring how I carried myself. It was a revelation that people I did not know were forming these kinds of impressions. As a leader, what impression would you like to deliver?  A leader is always on stage.

An extension of the shorter sessions can be a continuing process whereby there is a structured event scheduled at intervals, perhaps every two weeks. These are excellent ongoing activities that help structure one's development but are expensive and time consuming. I participated in one such program and it was life changing--personally and professionally. I was only able to do this because I had an enlightened boss, but for many it is impractical.

While ongoing interventions will commonly generate a better outcome, most must rely on a 5-day or shorter experience and have it serve as the launch point for ongoing development. Even then, these are quite expensive affairs and many aspiring leaders may not have access (e.g. no corporate budgets). If that is the case, how can one develop as a leader? Are these classroom experiences necessary? The answer is yes, they are indeed helpful but not required. In fact, only a portion of participants in any of these interventions will show meaningful improvement. The division for success is highly correlated with the active engagement and willingness of the aspiring leader. In other words, it requires the willingness and intention of the leader. The structure helps, but without commitment from the learner, it is a waste of money. Therefore, the foundation of successful development rests with the learner and can be done independently, if needed.

Learning from one's experience requires "willingness and ability,"³ along with a steady dose of frequent activity. I particularly like Heifetz, Grashow and Linsky's concept of "going to the balcony."⁴ This means the leader becomes adept at observing his/her own behavior, reflective of how it is working, and willing to complete the circle by incorporating past learning into future actions or behaviors. They believe, as do I, that if one does this consistently, it expands the leader's behavioral and adaptive range. Thus,  effective leadership results from learning from experience.

Some leaders need more than a theory of how to reflect and learn. Some need a path. If one is seeking a self-awareness path, a great read is R.L. Daft's⁵ book, which offers a solution for developing awareness (Know) and implementing a change process. Similarly, Primal Leadership⁶ offers emotional intelligence (Know and Do) as a mechanism for leadership development. This book also describes how to create a development plan.

To summarize a few ideas on developing one's own leadership without the need for an expensive intervention, I have culled the following from a variety of sources:

·        Seek feedback consistently and treat any feedback as input to your development process. Do your best to avoid defensiveness. I struggle with this common human response, but I find that if I can think about how to use the information for my benefit in the future, it becomes beneficial.

·        Identify two or three trusted people whom you can count on to give the feedback that you need to hear rather than what you want to hear. I can recall a boss who attempted to seek feedback about a negative interaction he experienced by asking, "I don't do that, do I?" Of course, he really was seeking a confirmation that he was OK, and he was placing me in the position of giving the socially acceptable answer, "Of course you don't do that." It goes without saying he was not truly seeking feedback.

·        If you cannot arrange to participate in an intervention with a highly qualified leadership development organization – e.g. Center for Creative Leadership (ccl.org) or the Leadership Trust (leadershiptrust.org) – then create your own structured process. I like Heiftz's recommendation to "go to the balcony"⁴ as described earlier. This means you monitor and observe your own actions and, at set intervals, you reflect and consider future options to alter and adjust your behaviors. Do this regularly (e.g. 10 minutes at the end of each day) and it is bound to help. You can also use as a post-mortem process after projects are completed.

·        The final recommendation is to find a good anchor that keeps your behavior focused on things that matter in leadership. I like Steven Covey's "The 7 Habits for Highly Effective People."⁷ I watched a colleague transform his behaviors to a much more successful level by working on these seven rules. I also found Covey's "The 8th Habit: From Effectiveness to Greatness"⁸ to be a useful read.

This is hard work and it does not always come naturally. Some leaders are born with good habits that work in leadership, but most are not as fortunate. It is not necessary to have natural talent but it is to have a willingness to learn and grow. If you can do a structured intervention, then do it, but recognize that it is only a beginning. In the end, learning to be an effective leader requires hard work and ongoing attention to the things that matter. If you start and then forget or stumble in the process, then simply restart the process.

I invite you to share your ideas or comments.

References

¹ DeRue, D.S., Hollenbeck, J.R. and Nahrgang, J.D. (2010). Leadership development through experience: Understanding the role of critical reflection and impact on human resource management practices: Using After-Event Reviews (AERs) to Improve Leadership Development. This project was funded by a SHRM Foundation research grant. 
 
² Snook, S.A., Noria, N., Khurana, R.K. (2012). Teaching Leadership: Advancing the Field. The Handbook for Teaching Leadership: Knowing, Doing, Being. Los Angeles, Sage: XI - XXIX.

               

³ DeRue, D.S., Ashford, S. J. Myers, C. G. (2012). "Learning Agility: In Search of Conceptual Clarity and Theoretical Grounding." Industrial and Organizational Psychology: Perspectives on Science and Practice 5(3): 258 - 279.

⁴ Heifetz, R., Grashow, A., Linsky, M. (2009). The Practice of Adaptive Leadership. Boston, Harvard Business Press.

               

⁵ Daft, R.L. (2010). The Executive and The Elephant: A Leader's Guide to Building Inner Excellence. San Francisco, Jossey-Bass.

               

⁶ Goleman, D., Boyatzis, R., Mckee, A. (2002). Primal Leadership: Realizing the Power of Emotional Intelligence. Boston, Mass, Harvard Business School Press.

⁷ Covey, S.R. (1989). The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. New York, Simon & Schuster.

⁸ Covey, S.R. (2004). The 8th Habit. New York, Simon & Schuster.

⁹ Hersey, P. and Blanchard, K.H. (1995). Situational Leadership. Leader’s Companion: Insights on Leadership Through the Ages. J.T. Wren. New York, Free Press: 207 - 211.