Developing exceptional leaders
The key to exceptional leadership is understanding that Leadership is a Process.
Leadership is the most important resource needed to improve an organisation, a community or a nation. Leaders are the ones who have a vision, take initiative, motivate and develop others, and also take responsibility for outcomes. However, the true worth of a leader is in their ability to develop and create other leaders; a legacy is created only when a person puts his organisation into the position to do great things without him. Therefore, a key task for leaders/managers is to develop the next generation of leaders for their organisation.
Although corporations spend huge sums per year on training, permanent change will occur only when an organisation’s infrastructure elicits, reinforces, and even demands desired leadership behaviours. Research shows that only about 10-20 percent of the knowledge gained from training actually transfers to the job. The challenge and opportunity is to translate knowledge and skills into practices that actually improve organisational performance.
Roger K. Allen, Ph.D offers some guidelines to achieve that objective. The guidelines proffered represent tested and proven ways of making desired leadership behaviours a permanent part of your organisation’s culture. The implementation of these guidelines requires deep thought and consistent hard work; leadership development is not a “quick fix”, but a process.
The Leadership Development Process
#1.Establish a culture of leadership
Clearly define what your organisation means by leadership. In order to provide excellent and consistent leadership across the organisation, it is necessary that everyone be grounded in a shared understanding of the leadership role. This knowledge forms the foundation upon which an excellent leadership team is built. It provides a foundation that will create and sustain appropriate leadership behaviour over time. This is the foundation that a leadership culture builds on.
To Do
i. Create and stick to a master plan
ii. Establish a foundation of stability
iii. Establish performance requirements and core competencies for each position
#2. Set the example
In truth, actions speak louder than words. It’s not what we say that informs people about what is important and how they should behave, but rather how we act. If you want your direct reports to treat people with respect, then you must treat others with respect. If you want them to empower and allow others more authority and involvement, then you must not micro-manage but allow others more authority. If you want your managers to become proactive and focused on the important instead of always reactive and attending to the urgent, then you must find a better balance between the urgent and important.
If you don’t like what you see in your organisation’s culture, then you must look into the mirror at your own example. This requires that you continually evaluate yourselves and ask how well you have been a living example of the behaviour you want others to model.
To Do
i. Create a Team Charter
ii. Leaders should act as a team by setting common goals, metrics, and meeting regularly to develop plans and assess how they are doing.
iii. Design systems to support high performance leadership behaviours
#3. Create a forum for feedback
One powerful way that leaders can hold themselves accountable is to have regular feedback sessions with employees. The purpose of these sessions is to ensure that their day-to-day practices (as well as policies, procedures, and systems) are in alignment with their espoused values and philosophy.
Feedback sessions should be scheduled for the entire year, at least on a monthly basis. Participants may be selected by some random method but every employee should participate in at least one session a year.
To Do
i. Hold regular personal accountability interviews
ii. Request for feedback
iii. Create a personal leadership development plan
Building Organisational Leadership Capability
General Electric, whose motto is “imagination at work,” is famous for developing leaders who are dedicated to turning imaginative ideas into leading products and services. A GE manager can be trusted to be a strong conceptualist as well as a decisive thinker; an inclusive, competent team leader; and a confident expert in his field.
Johnson & Johnson, whose credo begins, “We believe our first responsibility is to the doctors, nurses and patients, to mothers and fathers and all others who use our products and services,” is celebrated for developing leaders who provide scientifically sound, high-quality products and services that help heal and cure disease and improve the quality of life. A J&J manager is known for being socially responsible and a stickler for product development and differentiation. She takes a product to market in a disciplined way; she is committed to building consumer trust, to product quality, and to safety.
One obvious connection between these firms and several others like them is that they consistently turn out strong leaders, such that their managers are well equipped to run other organisations. Instead of merely strengthening the abilities of individual leaders, these companies focus on building a more general leadership capability.
It Starts at the Top
It is not enough to share theory and knowledge, however correct it may be. Old habits are hard to break, especially when those habits are reinforced, albeit unintentionally, by cultural norms which are contrary to new values and behaviours. Culture change must start at the top. Not only must senior leaders clarify the kinds of practices they expect of themselves, managers, and supervisors, but they must create the processes and methods to maintain a consistent message and reinforce desired behaviours.
An African proverb says it takes a whole village to raise a child, in the same vein; it takes a whole organisation to raise a leader.
Bolaji Olagunju