COMPETENCY
DEVELOPMENT
I M e e t s We L e a d e r s h i p
I see two main styles of leadership: One is hard-driving with a strong sense of personal poweran I leader who gets results. These leaders assert their power-of-voice, often at the expense of morale. This heroic leader needs to become more collaborative and relational. Hard-driving leadership takes it toll on others. People become worn out. They question their purpose and whether or not the money is worth it. Such leaders need to be more receptive and develop authentic connection. The other style is more interpersonally connected. These leaders are collaborative and synergistic. Their sense of We or power-of-connection is so strong that they may not put forth enough of their power-of-voice (I) when required. These leaders need to become more forceful and courageous in asserting their authentic influence. We find proponents of both styles of leadership. Some seek more hardedged, performance-driven I-oriented leaders, who assert their power-of-voice to get results. Others seek more of the We team-oriented leadership. If we aspire to genuine leadership, we need to develop both power-ofvoiceIand power-ofconnectionWe. If we are weighted too strongly in our personal and performance power, we need to work on the We. Ideally, we can flex the I muscle when needed to express a strong point of view and the We muscle as needed to enhance the connection to sustain performance. Having personal and relational awareness in a supporting dynamic is the essence of emotional intelligence. Fostering 720-degree development that builds both the I of leadership from the inside-out while building the We of leadership from the outside-in, form an integrated loop of sustainable success. Evaluate both I and We, competencies and character. Competencies make people candidates, but character is the crucial variable. Understand the values, principles and character of leaders, and create a culture of leadership development at the top. Creating such a culture has many benefits: retention, engagement, sustained performance. LE
Kevin Cashman is Senior Partner of Korn/Ferry Leadership and Talent Consulting and best-selling author of Leadership from the Inside Out. Email [email protected] or visit www.leadershipfromtheinsideout.com.
720 Development
Lead inside-out and outside-in.
by Kevin Cashman
and executives need more feedback, but often receive less feedback and fewer formal performance appraisals. They are more likely to be told how wonderfully they are doing. With 360-degree feedback, leaders receive feedback from multiple sources on their behavior, skills, and styles in order to deal with the intention-perception gap. While valuable, 360 feedback only reveals a portion of the person. If development is modeled primarily around 360 feedback, executives only learn how to create themselves in the image of others. They learn how to act instead of how to bea direct route to following versus leading. What you need for your leaders is 720-degree development. Typically, 360-degree feedback has two limitations: 1) it creates a defensive reaction, thus inhibiting growth; and 2) it encourages people to simply deliver the desired behaviors without giving them the personal insight and motivation to growa formula destined to limit authentic influence by creating actors versus leaders. In contrast, 720-degree LD begins with an inside-out 360 assessment, using validated tools to clarify talents, motivations, personality, leadership style, thinking style, emotional temperament, values, beliefs, preferences, and purpose. This ensures a more authentic self-understanding. Then, an outside-in 360 is done to give broad feedback on how people perceive our strengths, behaviors, and areas of development. Once we reconcile these two 360 assessments via 720 development, leaders have a more complete context for navigating the dynamics between their inner and outer realities. The most effective leaders possess multiple strengths with a dual focus on business results and interpersonal relationships. Results plus interpersonal competencies creates and sustains top performance.
L e a d e r s h i p
IGH POTENTIALS
ACTION: Engage in 720-degree development.
E x c e l l e n c e
Reprinted with permission of Leadership Excellence: 1-877-250-1983
