By James Harwood, Total HR
Generally speaking there are a couple of different thoughts on leadership and leadership development – leaders are either born or made. So called “Trait Theories” of leadership state that leaders are born with certain psychological traits and predetermined characteristics that pre-dispose them to naturally assume leadership roles and responsibilities, while “Behavioral Theories” state that leadership is more about leadership behaviors and competencies which can be learned, shaped and developed over time. Personally I’m more of an advocate of the behavioral approach and optimistic about our potential to develop leadership capabilities over time through experience and practice. As an HR professional, much of my time is spent working with leaders across organizations to help them become more confident and proficient at effective leadership practices.
So as an advocate of leadership development, I find it helpful to refer to practical models or theories of leadership development that help business owners and managers in business to become more effective organizational leaders. One of the models that I find particularly useful and practical is “The Five Practices of Exemplary Leadership” developed by James Kouzes and Barry Posner. The reason this model is so effective at developing leadership capability is because it identifies specific areas of focus for enhancing leadership capability, while providing tools to measure current capability and suggestions for how to build more competency in each area.
Here is a summary of each of the five practices of exemplary leadership:
1. Challenge the Process – effective leaders search for opportunities to change the status quo. They look for innovative ways to improve their organization, and in doing so experiment and take risks. Because leaders know that risk taking involves mistakes and failures, they accept the inevitable disappointments as learning opportunities.
2. Inspire a Shared Vision – effective leaders passionately believe that they can make a difference. They envision the future, and create an ideal and unique image of what the organization can become. Through effective persuasion they enlist others in their dreams, breathe life into their visions and get people excited about possibilities for the future.
3. Enable Others to Act – effective leaders foster collaboration and build spirited teams. They actively involve others, strive to create an atmosphere of trust and human dignity and strengthen their team by making each person feel capable and powerful.
4. Model the Way – effective leaders create standards of excellence and then set an example for others to follow. They set interim goals so that people can achieve small wins as they work toward larger objectives, unravel bureaucracy when it impedes action and create opportunities for victory.
5. Encourage the Heart – effective leaders recognize contributions that individual team members make and celebrate accomplishments. They keep hope and determination alive by making their people feel like heroes.
The well developed leader will possess competence in each of these areas and chances are you are more naturally skilled in some areas and need more development and practice in others. The key is knowledge of where your development areas are so that you can begin to work on a plan to capitalize on your strengths and develop your areas of weakness so you can improve your ability to lead. A solid development plan involves soliciting feedback on your present capability and use of these desired behaviors, setting goals for yourself, practicing the leadership behaviors where you show weakness and continually soliciting updated feedback on your leadership performance.
Of course, there is one crucial ingredient for self improvement as a leader – desire. In order to become a better leader you have to want to improve. Are you ready to work on your development as a more effective leader?
Total HR specializes in facilitating leadership development including assistance with an assessment of your current leadership capability and gaps, consulting with you on the development of a plan and suggestions for ways to enhance your overall leadership development. Contact your Total HR Account Manager today for more information on how you can get started on your journey toward an enhanced leadership experience.
