Editorial
Amidst the plethora of leadership development options available, ranging from coaching services to intensive programs offered by prestigious institutions, there remains a persistent gap between expectation and reality. Despite the abundance of resources, the quest for a truly effective leadership team often remains elusive. Let’s explore this disparity and take a look at what you need to focus on if you want to develop and build a highly effective leadership team!
The Promise and Pitfalls of Leadership Development
Leadership development holds a considerable promise, underscored by substantial investments in programs worldwide which aim to cultivate skilled leaders capable of driving improved employee engagement, enhancing organizational performance and maintaining a competitive advantage. Organizations often invest in these programs with the expectation of reaping long-term benefits.
However, despite the time and money spent, leadership development programs often do not produce leaders who are truly prepared to meet the challenges of their roles and the relentless uncertainty inherent to life today. Something that has manifested in low levels of employee trust in leadership.
JeanAnn Nichols, executive coach, Stanford Continuing Studies leadership instructor, and author of “Intentional Power: The 6 Essential Leadership Skills for Triple Bottom Line Impact,” notes that “the latest generations of employees are demanding a higher quality of leadership to enable them to bring their best selves to work. They’re looking for leaders who focus on the triple bottom line — people, planet and profits — leaders who will help them grow their own careers and positively impact the communities they operate in.”
Some of the common issues with current leadership development programs include:
Disconnection between leadership skills taught and those required in practice:
Programs frequently operate in isolation, without aligning the specific human behaviors essential for effective leadership with the strategic goals of the company, which creates a mismatch between the skills taught and those actually needed in practice.
Overemphasis on theory over practical application:
Programs that concentrate on abstract ideas without tying them to real-world scenarios can neglect the crucial aspect of experiential learning and practical skill-building. This gap between theory and practice means that leaders are not equipped with the hands-on experience and adaptable skills needed to navigate the complexities of their roles effectively.
Limited accountability, follow-up or continuous learning:
Without accountability, ongoing support and sufficient follow-up post-training, leaders are left without the necessary guidance to implement and refine their new or improved skills. Additionally, many organizations fail to measure the impact of these programs on actual organizational outcomes and the lives of leaders, leading to a lack of understanding of their effectiveness.
Lack of focus on individual and collective human dynamics:
Programs may not address the complexity of human dynamics, specific skills and personal challenges of individual leaders, as well as the integration of these to the team as a whole. Generic programs that overlook the unique attributes and obstacles each leader faces can't foster effective growth or change.
Failing to consider how a team functions collectively means missing critical insights into how leaders influence and are influenced by their environment. Leadership capabilities are not merely about mastering skills or absorbing information; they involve deep-seated behavioral changes and the development of human skills such as empathy, adaptability and strategic thinking. Without a tailored and holistic approach, leadership development lacks the personalization necessary to make a meaningful impact.
“While there’s a lot of excitement about investing in generative AI to create great tools for us as learners and leaders, we also need to invest in our human skills,” Nichols cautioned. “Many people get promoted into management because of their subject matter expertise, and too many organizations fail to invest in the people skills of those new leaders.”
Related Article: 7 Ways to Develop Managers on a Limited Budget
The Ingredients of an Effective Leadership Team
Our comprehensive research on sustainably high-performing individuals has identified three critical characteristics in effective leadership teams. To cultivate these traits, it is essential to measure, develop and strengthen specific behaviors and mental habits within your teams.
1. High Levels of Accountability
Accountable leaders can clearly link actions to outcomes, promoting a culture where successes are celebrated and failures are viewed as learning opportunities. This sense of responsibility enhances transparency and drives a solution-oriented approach, enabling leaders to address challenges proactively. Ultimately, such accountability leads to better decision-making, continuous improvement and organizational success.
Nichols explained how accountability interacts with other “power skills'' that she refers to as the HEARTI® Leadership model (Humility, Empathy, Accountability, Resiliency, Transparency and Inclusion).
She recalled a CEO who rated very highly in Empathy, with a vulnerability in Accountability. The CEO tended to gloss over problems in staff meetings, leaving staff feeling unproductive and contributing to low morale. Through coaching, this leader learned that holding others accountable increased team trust and morale, and when they raised the bar, people rose to the occasion to deliver stretch goals.
She cautioned, however, that when a leadership team over-uses Accountability or lacks skills in expressing Empathy, tyrant behavior with a singular focus on results at any cost can emerge, which also fosters negative outcomes.
2. Constructive Conflict
Effective leadership teams are skilled in healthy conflict practices. By limiting assumptions, they foster clearer communication and deeper team understanding. Active listening ensures every member feels heard, enhancing mutual respect and cooperation. Furthermore, developing advanced strategic communication skills improves in-the-moment awareness and intentional responses, rather than reactive ones. These practices enable leaders to effectively manage conflicts, maintaining strong and productive team dynamics.
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3. High Trust Environments
Various practices create a foundation of trust essential for a sustainably high-functioning leadership team. For example, establishing a deep connection to the collective mission aligns everyone with a shared purpose. Leaders must respect each other's boundaries to optimize a safe, healthy and productive work environment.
Cultivating an atmosphere where vulnerability is seen as a strength enhances team cohesion, as members feel secure to share challenges and insights. Encouraging openness to new ideas broadens decision-making and innovation. Additionally, training leaders to maintain high situational awareness ensures adaptability and responsiveness, crucial in dynamic settings.
Related Article: Ignite Innovation With the 5 Leadership Superpowers
Strategies for Effective Leadership Development
Take a holistic approach:
Leadership development programs must be tailored to align with both organizational goals and individual leader needs. This ensures that training not only supports the organization's overarching objectives but also resonates with each leader's personal growth and specific challenges. This is much more likely to engage leaders deeply, increasing the likelihood of practical application in their unique contexts. The most effective programs transform not only leadership practices but also the leaders themselves, tackling the mental blockers that hinder their growth and success.
Design for systematic and continuous learning, reflection and practical application:
This approach ensures that learning is a continuous cycle, not a singular event. Reflection helps leaders pause to reevaluate their assumptions and thought processes, leading to improved decision-making and broader perspectives. Practical application enables leaders to implement new skills and ideas in real-world scenarios, allowing for experimentation, feedback and refinement in a supportive environment.
Systematic, ongoing practice is necessary to change entrenched behaviors and overcome mental blockers. This practice-oriented approach solidifies learning, making leadership development relevant and immediately beneficial to the organization and developing leaders who are not only knowledgeable but also skilled in applying their insights to create significant impacts.
Nichols pointed out that “One and Done” leadership development programs – those prescribed, check-the-box, series — are likely to fail, as leaders need ongoing support to practice new behaviors, as the environment that they’re operating in is never static.
Implement long-term measurement and evaluation mechanisms:
Establishing clear success metrics, measurably tied directly to organizational outcomes as well as the leaders personal growth is important. However, the measures must be effective over time, as it is the sustained consistency of a range of behaviors that truly defines leadership. By consistently evaluating and refining their approaches over time, organizations can dynamically adapt to changing leadership needs and ensure that development efforts deliver substantial, long-term benefits.
Final Words
To remain competitive and responsive, organizations should commit to evolving their leadership development strategies, ensuring they align with both individual growth needs and broader organizational goals, as well as consistently building the critical human behaviors required over time. By doing so, they can cultivate leaders who are not only adept at navigating current challenges but are also prepared to lead successfully into the future.
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