Six Best Practices of Leadership Development Initiatives
by GEORGE AMBLER on SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 17, 2008
Chief Learning Officer magazine has an article "Leadership Development in 2008" that discussing research which found the following six best practices common to highly successful leadership development initiatives.
Strong executive engagement: The most important practice of all is to obtain the engagement of top leaders and managers. Their commitment means that the program will be highly regarded, aligned with corporate strategy and focused on the right business issues.
Tailored leadership competencies: Successful leadership development programs are based on identified leadership competencies. By isolating and agreeing upon leadership competencies most important to your business, you will have the foundation for leadership development, as well as succession planning, career development and other talent-related processes.
Alignment with business strategy: Leadership development is far more than management training. As leaders move up in the organization, their skills must shift from people and project management to strategic business and operations management. Organizations such as Agilent, Aetna and Cisco focus heavily on company-specific business strategies in their leadership programs.
Target all levels of leadership: While the term “leadership” may not seem to apply to first-line managers, we find that high-impact programs have elements that apply to every level of management.
Apply a comprehensive and ongoing approach: No sound leadership development program consists solely of an instructor-led training event. Programs must include developmental assignments, 360-degree assessments, meetings with global counterparts, case studies, external education and a wide variety of e-learning and other media to give leaders a complete experience. People learn to lead by doing, so the best leadership development programs focus heavily on experiential learning.
Integrate with talent management: To build a sustainable leadership pipeline, organizations must implement programs to assess leadership potential (part of the performance management process), identify successors to existing leaders and place these individuals into the right development programs as part of the company’s regular business practices. In fact, one of the biggest indicators of a first-class leadership development program is a set of established practices and a corporate culture that encourages development throughout the enterprise.
These are a great set of leadership development practices to use in your leadership development programmes. As leadership talent becomes more scarce, developing people from within become more and more important. What are you doing to develop the leaders of tomorrow for your team and organisation?
Sunday, June 26, 2011
The Practice of Leadership
What is The Practice of Leadership?
by GEORGE AMBLER on WEDNESDAY, JUNE 15, 2011
The exploration of the practice of leadership is a broad topic that is further complicated by the vast number of views and opinions expressed on the nature successful leaders and leadership. The goal of this post is to provide an overarching framework that will be used to guide our conversations on the ever evolving practice of leadership. In our conversation on the topic of leadership, we have chosen to place our emphasis on leadership practices, as it’s only when we take action that we are able to influence our world. As Mahatma Gandhi observed, ‘we must be the change we wish to see in the world’. Given this leadership focus, it’s necessary to be clear as to what are the outcomes of effective leadership.
Three Leadership Outcomes
An approach to the development of an integrated practice of leadership is described by Drath, et el. (2008) in their article, “Direction, alignment, commitment: Toward a more integrative ontology of leadership” published in The Leadership Quarterly[1]. In the article the authors propose an integrative leadership framework comprising of the following three key leadership outcomes:
Direction. This outcome is the facilitation of shared direction and collective agreement on the vision, mission, goals and aims. Direction implies change, a change from the current reality towards some future state.
Alignment. This outcomes concerns producing the right configuration of organisational structures, skills, processes, performance management systems, governance and technology required to allow the organisation to move towards their desired future direction.
Commitment. This is outcome is concerned with bringing people to the place where they willingly devote their time and energy in support of the shared direction.
When we approach the topic of leadership in terms of these three outcomes, it changes the leadership conversation. It changes the conversation from one that has historically been focused on leaders, followers and goals, to a conversation focused on the production of direction, alignment and commitment.
The Three Leadership Disciplines
Building upon the leadership framework described above and exploring leadership from a business perspective provides the necessary foundation to develop a business leadership framework. In considering this, we have identified three key organisational disciplines, that when taken together, help to produce the leadership outcomes of direction, alignment and commitment. Historically, each of these disciplines has been researched and described in isolation. However, it’s only when each of these disciplines are integrated in a manner that produces direction, alignment and commitment that leadership occurs. Thus, an integrated approach as illustrated in the diagram below provides a great framework to begin a new leadership conversation.
Adopting an integrative approach, as illustrated above, across the three business disciplines of strategy, execution and culture, provides a framework from which we can start a new conversation about the leadership practices, necessary to produce the outcomes of direction, alignment and commitment. A brief overview of each of the three key disciplines are as follows:
Strategy. The discipline of strategy is about setting direction. Strategy addresses where we are and where we are going, providing the purpose, vision, mission and goals of the organisation. Strategy is important as is sets the direction, which in turn guides our choices concerning the allocation of scare resources, such as time, attention and assets. Strategy sets the context in which execution, resulting in alignment is generated.
Execution. The discipline of execution is about aligning the organisations people, processes, information, governance, structures, technology and measurement in support of the strategy. It ensures that our resources are applied effectively and efficiently in support of the strategy. Execution helps to clarify accountability for the achievement of business outcomes and bring about the necessary alignment required to implement the strategy.
Culture. The culture of an organisation deals with ‘the way we do things around here’. The organisation culture consists of the unseen beliefs, values and assumptions that support the way people work and the practices we adopt to support how work gets done. Culture results in either the commitment of people towards the strategy and vision or alternatively a lack of commitment leading to compliance and mediocrity.
Integrating these three disciplines in a way that produces the outcomes of direction, alignment and commitment produces leadership. Each of the disciplines described above are supported by a set of leadership practices, that in turn supports the production of direction, alignment and commitment. Exploring these leadership practices is the purpose and goal of this new and emerging leadership conversation.
[1] Wilfred H. Drath, Cynthia D. McCauley, Charles J. Palus, Ellen Van Velsor, Patricia M.G. O’Connor, John B. McGuire, (2008) “Direction, alignment, commitment: Toward a more integrative ontology of leadership”, The Leadership Quarterly
777777777
Related posts:
Shaping conversation as a leadership practice
A 2007 Review of The Practice of Leadership
The Practice of Facilitative Leadership
Understanding Leadership Context
Six Best Practices of Leadership Development Initiatives
Tagged as: Framework, Leadership Practices
by GEORGE AMBLER on WEDNESDAY, JUNE 15, 2011
The exploration of the practice of leadership is a broad topic that is further complicated by the vast number of views and opinions expressed on the nature successful leaders and leadership. The goal of this post is to provide an overarching framework that will be used to guide our conversations on the ever evolving practice of leadership. In our conversation on the topic of leadership, we have chosen to place our emphasis on leadership practices, as it’s only when we take action that we are able to influence our world. As Mahatma Gandhi observed, ‘we must be the change we wish to see in the world’. Given this leadership focus, it’s necessary to be clear as to what are the outcomes of effective leadership.
Three Leadership Outcomes
An approach to the development of an integrated practice of leadership is described by Drath, et el. (2008) in their article, “Direction, alignment, commitment: Toward a more integrative ontology of leadership” published in The Leadership Quarterly[1]. In the article the authors propose an integrative leadership framework comprising of the following three key leadership outcomes:
Direction. This outcome is the facilitation of shared direction and collective agreement on the vision, mission, goals and aims. Direction implies change, a change from the current reality towards some future state.
Alignment. This outcomes concerns producing the right configuration of organisational structures, skills, processes, performance management systems, governance and technology required to allow the organisation to move towards their desired future direction.
Commitment. This is outcome is concerned with bringing people to the place where they willingly devote their time and energy in support of the shared direction.
When we approach the topic of leadership in terms of these three outcomes, it changes the leadership conversation. It changes the conversation from one that has historically been focused on leaders, followers and goals, to a conversation focused on the production of direction, alignment and commitment.
The Three Leadership Disciplines
Building upon the leadership framework described above and exploring leadership from a business perspective provides the necessary foundation to develop a business leadership framework. In considering this, we have identified three key organisational disciplines, that when taken together, help to produce the leadership outcomes of direction, alignment and commitment. Historically, each of these disciplines has been researched and described in isolation. However, it’s only when each of these disciplines are integrated in a manner that produces direction, alignment and commitment that leadership occurs. Thus, an integrated approach as illustrated in the diagram below provides a great framework to begin a new leadership conversation.
Adopting an integrative approach, as illustrated above, across the three business disciplines of strategy, execution and culture, provides a framework from which we can start a new conversation about the leadership practices, necessary to produce the outcomes of direction, alignment and commitment. A brief overview of each of the three key disciplines are as follows:
Strategy. The discipline of strategy is about setting direction. Strategy addresses where we are and where we are going, providing the purpose, vision, mission and goals of the organisation. Strategy is important as is sets the direction, which in turn guides our choices concerning the allocation of scare resources, such as time, attention and assets. Strategy sets the context in which execution, resulting in alignment is generated.
Execution. The discipline of execution is about aligning the organisations people, processes, information, governance, structures, technology and measurement in support of the strategy. It ensures that our resources are applied effectively and efficiently in support of the strategy. Execution helps to clarify accountability for the achievement of business outcomes and bring about the necessary alignment required to implement the strategy.
Culture. The culture of an organisation deals with ‘the way we do things around here’. The organisation culture consists of the unseen beliefs, values and assumptions that support the way people work and the practices we adopt to support how work gets done. Culture results in either the commitment of people towards the strategy and vision or alternatively a lack of commitment leading to compliance and mediocrity.
Integrating these three disciplines in a way that produces the outcomes of direction, alignment and commitment produces leadership. Each of the disciplines described above are supported by a set of leadership practices, that in turn supports the production of direction, alignment and commitment. Exploring these leadership practices is the purpose and goal of this new and emerging leadership conversation.
[1] Wilfred H. Drath, Cynthia D. McCauley, Charles J. Palus, Ellen Van Velsor, Patricia M.G. O’Connor, John B. McGuire, (2008) “Direction, alignment, commitment: Toward a more integrative ontology of leadership”, The Leadership Quarterly
777777777
Related posts:
Shaping conversation as a leadership practice
A 2007 Review of The Practice of Leadership
The Practice of Facilitative Leadership
Understanding Leadership Context
Six Best Practices of Leadership Development Initiatives
Tagged as: Framework, Leadership Practices
Saturday, June 11, 2011
Time Management
Time Management
By Fred Childs
Today I yield the floor to one of my mentors. Dr. Fred Childs is a leading church consultant, organizational development expert, and leadership authority. He and Monica reside in Pearland, Texas. Dr. Childs ministry of leadership development within the church has transformed my ministry through the years.
His books and training material have revolutionized hundreds of churches and ministries. His personal testimony is one of many miracles with a very powerful pulpit ministry.
In the last decade, Microsoft introduced its Windows 95 operating system. As one of the many who utilized this software, I would routinely sit and wait the few minutes for my computer to boot up. I never pondered the immense importance of these wasted daily minutes until I participated in a corporate time management seminar in 1996. I was shocked to discover that the cumulative total of the time wasted as individuals waited the few minutes for Windows 95 to boot up exceeded ten thousand man years per day!
Time is valuable. In training and facilitating several thousand professional and corporate teams, I have documented millions of dollars in bottom-line savings and multiplied productivity simply by eliminating the wasted time from the operating processes used to manufacture goods and produce services. The root cause of the rise or fall of many organizations is their ability to manage time efficiently and effectively.
Time is life, and it is perhaps our most precious resource. It can be a tremendous friend or foe, and it is ours to do with as we please. Every moment should be cherished, for it is a commodity that can never be replenished. It is used once and then it is gone forever.
One of the greatest keys to effective leadership is the proper utilization of time resources. There is no greater example of time mastery than the life and ministry of Jesus Christ. Scriptural study cannot reveal a single wasted minute in the life, ministry and actions of Jesus! A tremendous example of His personal mastery over time and priorities was in the account of Lazarus. John 11:6 says, “When he had heard therefore that he was sick, he abode two days still in the same place where he was.”
The scriptures reveal that Jesus loved Lazarus, and also his sisters Martha and Mary. He was sympathetic to their need but He did not allow even the circumstances of His close friends to dictate His agenda. He alone was responsible for setting His own priorities and effectively utilizing His own time. He did not drop everything He was doing just to do what others expected Him to do. Even though they misunderstood His motives, Jesus showed up at the right time and Lazarus was raised from the dead. The final result was that God was glorified through the actions of Jesus.
Jesus, as the master teacher, was manifesting an example for us to follow. In only 3½ years, He accomplished every detail that was essential for Him to complete His earthly mission. At the time of His death at age thirty-three, He left nothing undone. This could never have been accomplished had He allowed others to control His time and direct His focus away from the essential.
We too must be responsible for our time and agenda. Those who allow their agenda to be restructured by every phone call or request will be ineffective at best. If you are you breathless from running and your treadmill is stuck in high speed, it has to be your decision to get off of the treadmill.
Time presents a common challenge to everyone, and you need not feel alone in your struggle against it. The 21st Century is an era that is proving to offer an increasing abundance of absorbing demands and challenges to our time and resources. Simultaneously, it also offers the greatest opportunities ever presented in the history of the Church.
The potential for a last-day harvest is manifested through an amazing parable in the Bible. The parable applies to the value of time management. It is found in Matthew 20:1-16:
"For the kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire laborers
for his vineyard. Now when he had agreed with the laborers for a denarius a day, he sent them into
his vineyard. And he went out about the third hour and saw others standing idle in the marketplace,
and said to them, 'You also go into the vineyard, and whatever is right I will give you.'
So they went.
Again he went out about the sixth and the ninth hour, and did likewise. And about the eleventh hour he went out and found others standing idle, and said to them, 'Why have you been standing here idle all day?' They said to him, 'Because no one hired us.' He said to them, 'You also go into the vineyard, and whatever is right you will receive.' So when evening had come, the owner of the vineyard said to his steward, 'Call the laborers and give them their wages, beginning with the last to the first.' And when those came who were hired about the eleventh hour, they each received a denarius.But when the first came, they supposed that they would receive more; and they likewise received each a denarius. And when they had received it, they complained against the landowner, saying, 'These last men have worked only one hour, and you made them equal to us who have borne the burden and the heat of the day.'
But he answered one of them and said, 'Friend, I am doing you no wrong. Did you not agree with me for a denarius? Take what is yours and go your way. I wish to give to this last man the same as to you. Is it not lawful for me to do what I wish with my own things? Or is your eye evil because I am good?' So the last will be first, and the first last. For many are called, but few chosen." (NKJV)
There are numerous revelations contained within this parable.
• The vineyard belonged to the landowner. The landowner is a metaphor for Jesus.
• The laborers had a choice whether or not to become employed by the landowner. Their time belonged to them and not to the landowner. In order for the landowner to have any claim to their time they had to work out an agreement. The landowner would pay the individual for a portion of his time. In exchange, the laborer would work in the landowner’s vineyard.
• In the agricultural system of Israel, each laborer was given a sack to gather the produce into. When the sack was full he would exchange it for a new sack. At the end of the day, he would be paid according to the number of sacks he had gathered. This pay-for-production system is still in effect in parts of Israel and the world today.
• The laborer who was hired at the eleventh hour was paid the same as the laborer who was hired in the morning. This meant he had gathered in one hour as much as the other laborers had gathered all day!
• This is a prophecy that the tools and capabilities of the last hour laborer will allow them to reap in a short time an equivalent harvest to the early laborer who worked a long time to reap a harvest.
Several underlying truths can also be derived from this parable:
• The landowner obviously practiced a system of organizational continuous improvement. At every shift, he was able to gather more in less time. His methods were more proficient in the latter part of the day than in the morning.
• The landowner was a wise steward. He was not foolish when offering the same salary to the eleventh hour laborer that he had offered to the early morning laborer. He was aware of his organizational and personal capabilities. He knew he was getting a fair return for a fair wage.
Time will have a greater impact on your lifetime achievements than perhaps anything else. The irony lies in the fact that every human being is dealt an equivalent measure of exactly twenty-four hours of time for every day of life. Those who acquire a discipline for time management will reap its innumerable benefits and be productive. The highest levels of effectiveness can only be attained once individuals and organizations develop the habits and disciplines required for time management.
Jesus was a wise time manager. Careful scrutiny of the scriptures reveals that He was very proficient at maximizing the value of the time spent on any endeavor. He was constantly bringing one meeting to a close in order to head to the next item on His agenda. He kept the disciples focused on tasks and assignments. He was a man of few words, getting straight to the point saved Him significant chunks of time. He consistently had others intercept his interruptions for Him, and He would see certain people only after He had returned a disciple with a message to bring the visitor into His presence. His list of accomplishments is incredible, and much credit goes to His remarkable ability to maximize time to His strategic advantage.
As stewards, we must become astute time managers. We should continuously improve the systems and methods that effect the gathering of a harvest. It is our individual choice as to whether we desire to pick the harvest by hand or reap it with a combine.
If the time wasted daily while people wait for their computers to boot up is equivalent to thousands of human lifetimes, how much productivity is being wasted in the Kingdom of God by the daily misuse of our God-given time? Only eternity will reveal the answer to that question, and by then, time will be no more.
http://www.preachit.org/newsletter.cfm?record=163&mode=200
By Fred Childs
Today I yield the floor to one of my mentors. Dr. Fred Childs is a leading church consultant, organizational development expert, and leadership authority. He and Monica reside in Pearland, Texas. Dr. Childs ministry of leadership development within the church has transformed my ministry through the years.
His books and training material have revolutionized hundreds of churches and ministries. His personal testimony is one of many miracles with a very powerful pulpit ministry.
In the last decade, Microsoft introduced its Windows 95 operating system. As one of the many who utilized this software, I would routinely sit and wait the few minutes for my computer to boot up. I never pondered the immense importance of these wasted daily minutes until I participated in a corporate time management seminar in 1996. I was shocked to discover that the cumulative total of the time wasted as individuals waited the few minutes for Windows 95 to boot up exceeded ten thousand man years per day!
Time is valuable. In training and facilitating several thousand professional and corporate teams, I have documented millions of dollars in bottom-line savings and multiplied productivity simply by eliminating the wasted time from the operating processes used to manufacture goods and produce services. The root cause of the rise or fall of many organizations is their ability to manage time efficiently and effectively.
Time is life, and it is perhaps our most precious resource. It can be a tremendous friend or foe, and it is ours to do with as we please. Every moment should be cherished, for it is a commodity that can never be replenished. It is used once and then it is gone forever.
One of the greatest keys to effective leadership is the proper utilization of time resources. There is no greater example of time mastery than the life and ministry of Jesus Christ. Scriptural study cannot reveal a single wasted minute in the life, ministry and actions of Jesus! A tremendous example of His personal mastery over time and priorities was in the account of Lazarus. John 11:6 says, “When he had heard therefore that he was sick, he abode two days still in the same place where he was.”
The scriptures reveal that Jesus loved Lazarus, and also his sisters Martha and Mary. He was sympathetic to their need but He did not allow even the circumstances of His close friends to dictate His agenda. He alone was responsible for setting His own priorities and effectively utilizing His own time. He did not drop everything He was doing just to do what others expected Him to do. Even though they misunderstood His motives, Jesus showed up at the right time and Lazarus was raised from the dead. The final result was that God was glorified through the actions of Jesus.
Jesus, as the master teacher, was manifesting an example for us to follow. In only 3½ years, He accomplished every detail that was essential for Him to complete His earthly mission. At the time of His death at age thirty-three, He left nothing undone. This could never have been accomplished had He allowed others to control His time and direct His focus away from the essential.
We too must be responsible for our time and agenda. Those who allow their agenda to be restructured by every phone call or request will be ineffective at best. If you are you breathless from running and your treadmill is stuck in high speed, it has to be your decision to get off of the treadmill.
Time presents a common challenge to everyone, and you need not feel alone in your struggle against it. The 21st Century is an era that is proving to offer an increasing abundance of absorbing demands and challenges to our time and resources. Simultaneously, it also offers the greatest opportunities ever presented in the history of the Church.
The potential for a last-day harvest is manifested through an amazing parable in the Bible. The parable applies to the value of time management. It is found in Matthew 20:1-16:
"For the kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire laborers
for his vineyard. Now when he had agreed with the laborers for a denarius a day, he sent them into
his vineyard. And he went out about the third hour and saw others standing idle in the marketplace,
and said to them, 'You also go into the vineyard, and whatever is right I will give you.'
So they went.
Again he went out about the sixth and the ninth hour, and did likewise. And about the eleventh hour he went out and found others standing idle, and said to them, 'Why have you been standing here idle all day?' They said to him, 'Because no one hired us.' He said to them, 'You also go into the vineyard, and whatever is right you will receive.' So when evening had come, the owner of the vineyard said to his steward, 'Call the laborers and give them their wages, beginning with the last to the first.' And when those came who were hired about the eleventh hour, they each received a denarius.But when the first came, they supposed that they would receive more; and they likewise received each a denarius. And when they had received it, they complained against the landowner, saying, 'These last men have worked only one hour, and you made them equal to us who have borne the burden and the heat of the day.'
But he answered one of them and said, 'Friend, I am doing you no wrong. Did you not agree with me for a denarius? Take what is yours and go your way. I wish to give to this last man the same as to you. Is it not lawful for me to do what I wish with my own things? Or is your eye evil because I am good?' So the last will be first, and the first last. For many are called, but few chosen." (NKJV)
There are numerous revelations contained within this parable.
• The vineyard belonged to the landowner. The landowner is a metaphor for Jesus.
• The laborers had a choice whether or not to become employed by the landowner. Their time belonged to them and not to the landowner. In order for the landowner to have any claim to their time they had to work out an agreement. The landowner would pay the individual for a portion of his time. In exchange, the laborer would work in the landowner’s vineyard.
• In the agricultural system of Israel, each laborer was given a sack to gather the produce into. When the sack was full he would exchange it for a new sack. At the end of the day, he would be paid according to the number of sacks he had gathered. This pay-for-production system is still in effect in parts of Israel and the world today.
• The laborer who was hired at the eleventh hour was paid the same as the laborer who was hired in the morning. This meant he had gathered in one hour as much as the other laborers had gathered all day!
• This is a prophecy that the tools and capabilities of the last hour laborer will allow them to reap in a short time an equivalent harvest to the early laborer who worked a long time to reap a harvest.
Several underlying truths can also be derived from this parable:
• The landowner obviously practiced a system of organizational continuous improvement. At every shift, he was able to gather more in less time. His methods were more proficient in the latter part of the day than in the morning.
• The landowner was a wise steward. He was not foolish when offering the same salary to the eleventh hour laborer that he had offered to the early morning laborer. He was aware of his organizational and personal capabilities. He knew he was getting a fair return for a fair wage.
Time will have a greater impact on your lifetime achievements than perhaps anything else. The irony lies in the fact that every human being is dealt an equivalent measure of exactly twenty-four hours of time for every day of life. Those who acquire a discipline for time management will reap its innumerable benefits and be productive. The highest levels of effectiveness can only be attained once individuals and organizations develop the habits and disciplines required for time management.
Jesus was a wise time manager. Careful scrutiny of the scriptures reveals that He was very proficient at maximizing the value of the time spent on any endeavor. He was constantly bringing one meeting to a close in order to head to the next item on His agenda. He kept the disciples focused on tasks and assignments. He was a man of few words, getting straight to the point saved Him significant chunks of time. He consistently had others intercept his interruptions for Him, and He would see certain people only after He had returned a disciple with a message to bring the visitor into His presence. His list of accomplishments is incredible, and much credit goes to His remarkable ability to maximize time to His strategic advantage.
As stewards, we must become astute time managers. We should continuously improve the systems and methods that effect the gathering of a harvest. It is our individual choice as to whether we desire to pick the harvest by hand or reap it with a combine.
If the time wasted daily while people wait for their computers to boot up is equivalent to thousands of human lifetimes, how much productivity is being wasted in the Kingdom of God by the daily misuse of our God-given time? Only eternity will reveal the answer to that question, and by then, time will be no more.
http://www.preachit.org/newsletter.cfm?record=163&mode=200
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