Taking the guesswork out of growing leaders

First published on aim.com.au (11 Dec 2015)

The game of leadership has changed

Growing leaders is too important to outsource; the best leaders know that developing leadership in others, on the job, is a key responsibility. To support the new game, leadership development must change, and leaders must be adaptable, responsive, and continue to develop their skills. Leadership theory is no longer enough: it’s not what you know that matters, it’s what you do with what you know that makes the difference. To develop sustainable leadership, we must move from an overreliance on classroom training alone, toward a committed, agile focus on informal learning.

‘For most leaders, the greatest challenge is not understanding the practice of leadership. It is practising their understanding of leadership.’ —Marshall Goldsmith, author or editor of 35 business books.

The imperative for change

Leadership affects share price

Market analysts value effective leadership by awarding a ‘leadership premium’ of up to 15.7% of company share price for good leadership, and a discount of 19.8% for ineffective leadership . 

Leadership programs aren’t working

86% of HR and business leaders surveyed by Deloitte, cited leadership as one of their most important challenges . Yet 50% of HR executives say their leadership development programs are ineffective or don’t provide significant, lasting benefits .

Money down the drain

The typical organisation invests 85% of its resources in training events, yet these events only contribute 24% of learning effectiveness . Organisations only invest 5% of their time in training follow-up, even though follow up contributes 50% of learning effectiveness.

The knowing-doing gap

Sustainable behaviour change results from focused practice and attention over extended periods. One-off training events don't provide the repetition or feedback required to change mindsets, embed skill sets and integrate new mental maps that forge lasting habits. A focus on application, on the job, supports sustainable behaviour change, and the leader creates the supportive application environment.

Limited bench strength

Developing leadership in others, on the job, allows everyone showing potential the chance to develop— not just the ‘rising stars’ or the ‘executive team’—creating leadership at all levels.

3 steps to develop leaders on the job

Nobel Prize winner and author, Daniel Kahneman said, ‘True intuitive expertise is learned from prolonged experience with good feedback on mistakes’.

Leaders are in the best position to provide ‘good feedback on mistakes’, and to provide continued focus, reinforcement and support in real time, on the job—where it counts.

1. Discover: What’s the problem?

Deciding which leadership behaviours to develop requires awareness of the behaviours and their impacts on results and the relationship. Awareness precedes and directs change, and creates motivation.

2. Decode: What’s the cause?

Determining the intention behind the behaviour is critical. Trying to change behaviours without addressing the underlying motivational drivers is like painting a car red and expecting it to go faster—changing the colour does not change the engine.

3. Design: What’s the action?

Once goals are clear, determine a new pathway for improved performance.

Context – the environment for change

The context for change is critical; the environment for development will influence the approach and outcome. A leader can only align the three elements, to the organisational outcomes, once they understand the context in which all parties and the organisation are working.

Once the plan is set, it’s about supporting the new leader to stay the course through ongoing coaching and targeted behaviour-change conversations. This is effective leadership development: it’s real time, relevant, and creates results.

Ongoing action

Development traction comes from ongoing action. Developing the right leadership skills is more than leadership theory. It’s about the practice of leadership with consistent, real-time feedback, on the job. If a leader is well-equipped to develop leadership capabilities within their team, they will create a ripple effect that will lift the organisation’s results.

Anneli Blundell is a professional People Whisperer who supports leaders to develop leadership in others, on the job. She is the co-author of Developing Direct Reports: Taking the guesswork out of leading leaders. Contact her at www.anneliblundell.com or ab@anneliblundell.com.

Source: http://aim.com.au/blog/taking-guesswork-out-growing-leaders

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3 ways women minimise their power and how to stop it!

First published by www.womensagenda.com.au/ (18 Nov 2015)

Women are guilty of abusing their power, but not in the way you may think. Rather than throw their weight around, demand compliance or ignore the plight of the less powerful, they do something equally damaging: they minimise their power.

Being promoted into a position of power doesn't necessarily make us feel powerful. Without an equal measure of internal power, any external markers of power can magnify insecurities and uncertainties, and make us feel like imposters on the brink of exposure. When we do not step confidently and fully into a position of power, we create a disconnect between inside and outside: how powerful we appear to others compared with how powerful we appear to ourselves.

Ways we avoid owning our power

1. Denying

I don't deserve this.

Others are more skilled; I just got lucky.

I was in the right place at the right time.

We confuse the people we are leading by denying the power inherent in an assigned role. As leaders, others look to us to make decisions, set standards and give feedback. When we don't act accordingly—because we don't feel qualified—people don’t know where they stand and can wonder why we’re ‘reluctant to lead’.

Tips:

• View yourself through the eyes of others, and let their faith in you build your confidence.
• Act as if you deserve to be leading: faking confidence can build confidence.
• Model other leaders who embrace their power, and use it for the good of others.

2. Downplaying

It was nothing.

We all worked on it together.

Anyone could have done it.

When we are naturally good at something, we tend to underestimate our ability and downplay our strengths: if it’s easy for us, it must be easy for others. Downplaying our efforts, combined with a general reluctance to brag, means we perpetuate the likelihood of being passed over by others who confidently promote their potential and step fully into their power.

Tips:

• Make a list of skills, attributes and traits of which you can be proud. It’s important to acknowledge these strengths to yourself.
• Practise telling people what you are proud of achieving and why (in a way that doesn't make you squirm!)
• Practise responding to compliments with a simple ‘thank you’. This forces you to own your power and not deny it.

3. Doubting

I’m not sure I’m experienced enough to do this.

Who am I to be leading this team?

When will they realise I’m an imposter?

Without self-belief it is difficult to step into our own power. When we doubt our abilities and the positions we hold, we become hesitant to make use of the opportunities they afford. We don’t go for the big roles or projects, of which we are capable—we play it safe.

Interestingly, self-doubt is associated with great ability: the incompetent are confident and the competent doubt their abilities. So if you doubt yourself, be delighted, it probably means you’re better than you give yourself credit for.

Tips:

• Rejoice in your doubt, knowing that it’s a sign of your capability.
• Fake it to make it: confidence comes from doing the things at which you’re not confident. To build confidence, you must act with confidence.
• Do more of what scares you most.

Closing the disconnect gap

When we minimise our power, we are in danger of sabotaging our potential. In Developing Direct Reports: Taking the guesswork out of leading leaders, my co-authors and I explore 12 globally recognised leadership derailers. A chronic disconnect between inside and outside power, for women, can appear as one of the following derailers:

• Staller: not moving forward on decisions, focused on perfection not momentum.
• Fence-sitter: trying to accommodate everyone; trying to make the ‘right’ decision.
• Avoider: uncomfortable with conflict.

 Our ability to feel empowered is a choice we make, not a position we hold. Being promoted to a position of power doesn't always equate to real power, nor does a lack of power equate to powerlessness. The choice is always yours.

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