Center for Business & Industry

October 2008

Center for Business & Industry

VOLUME 5 ISSUE 1

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Top 10 Characteristics of Leadership

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Like the classroom lessons or coaching lessons we orchestrate for our clients, we too, have had some key learnings as the Leadership Development Institute has grown.  We have certainly learned more than 10 things, but in David Letterman-like style, this list is provided and taken from a Conference Board presentation we made in New York City earlier this year. It focused on what it takes to have a top-notch developmental program be successful.

 

  1. Development is a multi-dimensional process.
  1. Different people learn in different ways.
  2. Be intentional about mixing experiential activities, traditional classroom work, exercises and case studies to provide a broad learning experience.

 
  1. Model what you expect.
  1. If you expect enthusiastic learners, be enthusiastic; if you expect people to be engaged, engage them; if you expect people to stay focused, be focused yourself.
  2. Do not spend time “disengaged” from participants.  Be available to interact with them on breaks, at lunch and after sessions.

 
  1. Don’t build what you can’t sustain.
  1. If you are going to develop a program that will require the involvement of senior leadership or outside resources, make sure you can repeat the experience for a second or third group if that is the intent.
  2. The initial people involved are key but those who follow will expect the same high-end experience.

 
  1. Use the 80-20 Rule.
  1. You can’t do everything. Focus on the 20% that will have the most significant impact.
  2. Know what the organization really needs in order to move forward and make sure those areas get primary attention.

 
  1. Include opportunities for building self-awareness.
  1. As we have said many times, knowing oneself is vital to growing and developing.  Build into the process the opportunity to learn about yourself.  That might be getting feedback, doing some kind of a profile, or simply spending time reflecting on a topic and how it relates to each participant.
  2. Concepts and principles come alive when they are directly related to ourselves.

 
  1. Define your Leadership Model.

 
  1. Developing leadership is always one of the key areas that needs to be addressed. 
  2. Define what leadership will look like in your organization. 
  3. Make sure everyone knows the expectations that come with being in a leadership role. 
  4. Ultimately, people in those roles must be held accountable to meet the defined expectations for the organization.
  1. Move from Outside Lead with Inside Support to Inside Lead with Outside Support.

 
  1. As mentioned earlier, the new business model is looking to the outside for resources.  That support must recognize that most businesses can not afford to become overly dependent on that outside support. 
  2. Although initially LDI needs to take a lead role in getting something started and help a client organization to move forward with momentum, there needs to be a defined point in time that the business takes over the lead role and LDI supports them.

 
  1. Output needs to be more than just skills and knowledge.

 
  1. If the primary goals are change, growth and new development, people need not only to learn about new approaches, principles and skills, they also need to think differently. 
  2. Any kind of a developmental activity must also shift people’s mindset.  It is that shift that opens them up to changing themselves and applying what they learn.

 
  1. Formalize the application of learning.

 
  1. Participants leave a frantic workplace and they return.  They may come back with new ideas and new ways of thinking but unless they are very intentional about putting those new ideas to work, IT WON’T HAPPEN!  Application needs to involve some formal means to allow participants to plan what they will do to use their education OR use what they have learned.

 
  1. Coach – Coach – and Coach some more.

 
  1. Coaching not only provides a means to reinforce, but it also creates accountability and keeps the application process in front of a participant.  Again, application does not happen by accident and coaching helps make it intentional.

 

 

And here are a few more. These ideas are just as relevant to leading an organization:

  1. Understand that your people have different needs. Leading and managing them is multi-dimensional.

  2. Modeling is an essential role of leaders.  Model the organization you hope to create.

  3. Growth is planned, deliberate and intentional.

  4. Focus on what you do best.

  5. Know your strengths.

  6. Have a leadership model.

  7. Manage your resources.

  8. Pay attention to the workplace environment or culture.

  9. Make sure new ideas are used OR implemented.

  10. Coaching is important.

 

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