The Corporate Leaders Job:

1
The Corporate Leaders Job
Doing 4 Things Well

• Connie Freeman, SHL
• Gateway I/O Psychology Conference
• St. Louis, Missouri
• November 2003

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The Old-Economy Model of Leadership

• Power and authority vested in the position, not
  the individual
• Rank usually ensured compliance
• Directives and commands were the most effective
  and efficient means of leadership
• Getting ahead meant paying your dues and
  listening to your boss
• Competencies for success were focused on
  planning, organizing, controlling, and managing
• Leadership programs focused on knowledge
  acquisition and skill building in these core
  areas
• Whats different today not much!

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Whats Missing From Leadership Development?

• Leadership development programs for the most part
  create technically correct leaders leaders
  who get better at managing the task
• We dont provide leaders with a roadmap to
  develop passion for a higher vision, greater
  self-confidence, patience, enhanced ability to
  act and position others for success
• True leadership development is a processthat
  unfolds in stages over time and pushes leaders
  beyond transaction to transformation

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The experiences that changed executives were
hairpin curves or stomach-turning drops that
forced them to look at themselves and their
context through a different lens.
Transformational experiences almost always forced
people to face something different from what they
had faced before. Morgan McCall, High Flyers,
1998
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Transformational Experiences

• Early work experiences
• First time managing people
• Fixing a crisis
• Leading a project team
• Increase in job scope/responsibility
• Business failure
• Demotion/being fired

• Dealing with a subordinate performance problem
• Breaking out of a rut
• Switching jobs/careers
• Personal traumas
• Formal education

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Academic Approaches to Leadership

• Academic approaches to leadership vary widely,
  are contradictory and subject to fashions,
  e.g., currently transformational leadership
• There is no integrative view, and considerable
  discrepancies.
• Approaches have ranged from
• Great man notions
• Contingency models
• Recent approaches see leadership as an
  attribution assigned to certain types of
  performance within certain types of context
• Emphasis on asking other people about an
  individuals leadership rather than measuring
  it directly.

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SHL Research on Leadership

• Global Leaders project carried out between 1998
  and 2002
• World-wide Repertory Grid interviews identified 8
  key themes
• 8 themes are described as a mixture of
  competencies (strategic thinking, vision) and
  traits (adaptability, resilience)
• Project resulted in the identification of four
  essential functions that leadership has to
  fulfill in organizations
• Developed a functional model that integrates
  research into transformational and transactional
  leadership

See The SHL Corporate Leadership Model White
Paper, September 2002
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SHL Leadership Model

• The SHL Leadership Model attempts to address the
  transactional and transformational aspects of
  leadership
• The SHL Leadership Model covers four functions
  critical to leadership effectiveness in any
  organization
• Developing the Vision
• Sharing the Goals
• Gaining Support
• Delivering Success
• and identifies the key transactional and
  transformational competencies.

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1 - Developing the Vision

• The first stages in organizational change involve
  the critical analysis of the current situation,
  and the generation of ideas to move forward.
• Leaders need to accurately analyze the facts and
  to establish a sense of urgency where change is
  required.
• They also need to establish a mission, develop a
  convincing and appealing vision of the future and
  outline the strategy by which it can be achieved.

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2 - Sharing the Goals

• Corporate leaders need to communicate the vision,
  set goals and objectives and take decisions that
  embody the strategic direction of the
  organization.
• In presenting their strategy, they need to
  interact with internal and external stakeholders.
  
• They have to establish coalitions and networks
  and influence people to get goals accepted and
  internalized.

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3 Gaining Support

• Leaders need to support others in order to gain
  their trust and support. This requires leaders to
  recognize concerns and reconcile them with the
  change agenda.
• Leaders need to empower broad-based action and
  generate early short-term wins to demonstrate the
  benefits of change.
• Failure to do so may mean that others within the
  organization continue to fear or resist change
  and, believing that they will not benefit, only
  half-heartedly support the new vision and
  strategy.

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4 Delivering Success

• The effective implementation of strategy requires
  operational efficiency and commercial acumen.
• The economic viability of the vision needs to be
  ensured through operational efficiency and by
  winning business to grow the organization.

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Management vs. Leadership Making the Distinction

• Group Discussion
• How would you characterize Management from
  Leadership?
• Is there a distinction?
• Is it important?
• Why or why not?
• What are the implications for assessment? For
  development?

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Management Focus vs. Leadership Focus

• Management is about keeping an existing system
  running.

• Leadership is about creating it, developing it or
  changing its direction.

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Management Competencies vs. Leadership
Competencies

• The SHL Great Eight Competencies distinguish
  between management (transactional) competencies
  and leadership (transformational) competencies.

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Management Competencies

• Analyzing Interpreting Shows evidence of clear
  analytical thinking. Gets to the heart of complex
  problems and issues. Applies own expertise
  effectively and quickly takes on new technology.
  May be inclined to over-analyze a situation.
• Interacting Presenting Communicates and
  networks effectively. Successfully persuades and
  influences others. Relates to others in a
  confident and relaxed manner. May need to
  consider when it is more appropriate to step back
  and take time out for reflection.

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Management Competencies

• Supporting Cooperating Puts people issues
  first, supporting colleagues and showing respect
  and positive regard towards others. Behaves
  consistently with a clear sense of personal
  values. May find it difficult to make the hard
  choices sometimes necessary in organizational
  life.
• Organizing Executing Follows directions and
  procedures and plans ahead, working in a
  systematic and organized manner. Focuses on the
  delivery of a defined product of service to
  predetermined standards. May find it challenging
  or unsettling to accommodate deviations from the
  plan.

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Leadership Competencies

• Creating Conceptualizing Works well in
  situations requiring openness to new ideas and
  experiences. Seeks out learning opportunities.
  Handles situations and problems with innovation
  and creativity. Support and drives organizational
  change. May overlook positive aspects of the
  status quo.
• Leading Deciding Naturally prefers to take
  control and exercise personal leadership.
  Initiates action, gives direction and takes
  responsibility. May need to consider when it is
  more appropriate to step back and to let others
  take the lead.

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Leadership Competencies

• Adapting Coping Adapts and responds well to
  change. Flourishes on pressure and copes well
  with setbacks. Provides stability and security to
  others in times of uncertainty and change. May
  underestimate the personal challenges experienced
  by others in adapting to change.
• Enterprising Performing Focuses on results and
  the achievement of personal work goals and
  objectives. Shows an active interest in business,
  commerce and finance. Seeks opportunities for
  self-development and career advancement. May
  overlook opportunities to step back in order to
  appreciate and celebrate past achievements.

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Management Focus vs. Leadership Focus
Preferred
Corporate Leader
Leader
Leadership Focus
Specialist
Manager
Less Preferred
Less Preferred
Preferred
Management Focus
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Management vs. Leadership Focus

• Specialist Specialists who take pride in
  applying and honing their expertise within a
  defined area are important in any organization.
  Such individuals may feel uncomfortable at the
  prospect of becoming generalists with more
  wide-ranging responsibilities at the expense of
  excellence in their own specialization.
• Manager Individuals who combine technical
  expertise with a clear transactional management
  style are likely to be effective in driving
  operational success in the here-and-now. However,
  future success also depends on a steady flow of
  innovation that leads to new business
  propositions in response to evolving markets.

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Management vs. Leadership Focus

• Leader Great leaders transform organizations
  through innovation, drive, personal resilience
  and entrepreneurial flair. However, their efforts
  may be rendered less effective if they overlook
  transactional aspects associated with effective
  management.
• Corporate Leader Great leaders transform
  organizations through innovation, drive, personal
  resilience and entrepreneurial flair. Effective
  execution of corporate leadership combines this
  with the transactional managerial elements of
  analysis, communication, interpersonal
  sensitivity and structured implementation.

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1 - Developing the Vision

• Leaders need to analyze the facts and establish a
  sense of urgency for the need for change. They
  also need to establish a mission, develop an
  appealing and convincing vision for the future,
  and outline the strategy by which it can be
  achieved.

Preferred
Creator
Visionary
Creating Conceptualizing
Conservator
Analyst
Less Preferred
Less Preferred
Preferred
Analyzing Interpreting
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1 - Management vs. Leadership Focus

• Conservator Conservators thrive in environments
  where they can continue to use well-proven
  methods and discourage incompatible ideas. They
  apply established methods and ways of working to
  resolve practical problems and maintain the
  status quo.
• Analyst Analysts are naturally suited to
  critical thinking and quickly get to the heart of
  complex problems and issues. They work most
  effectively in situations requiring the
  application of established methods and ways of
  working and may struggle to create new ideas and
  concepts. Analysts strive to apply tried and
  tested approaches to the resolution of problems
  and if left unguided may be inclined to
  over-analyze a situation.

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1 - Management vs. Leadership Focus

• Creator Creators work well in situations
  requiring openness to new ideas and experiences.
  They typically handle situations and challenges
  with innovation and creativity and will often
  support or drive organizational change. Their
  enthusiasm for change may overlook positive
  aspects of the status quo. They also tend to
  overlook the need to check the practical
  feasibility of their ideas.
• Visionary Visionaries excel in developing a
  vision for the organization while critically
  evaluating the facts and creating the ideas and
  concepts that move the organization forward. In
  certain contexts they may be inclined to
  overanalyze a situation and may overlook positive
  aspects of the status quo.

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2 Sharing the Goals

• Corporate Leaders need to communicate the vision,
  set goals and objectives and take decisions that
  embody the strategy direction. They need to
  present the strategy and interact with people
  inside and outside the organization. They have to
  establish coalitions and networks, and influence
  people to get the goals accepted and internalized.

Preferred
Decision Maker
Communicator
Leading Deciding
Supporter
Presenter
Less Preferred
Less Preferred
Preferred
Interacting Presenting
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2 - Management vs. Leadership Focus

• Supporter Supporters take on a vision as their
  own and implement the solution to drive change.
  Supporters prefer not to operate in a directive
  manner towards others and seek to adopt an
  independent advisory role within the group. They
  are somewhat private and socially reserved,
  valuing time for personal thought and reflection,
  and may miss opportunities to network and build
  personal contacts.
• Presenter Presenters relate to others in a
  confident and relaxed manner and are superb
  public speakers and ambassadors for the
  organization. They network effectively and are
  generally successful in persuading and
  influencing others. They can benefit from
  considering when it is most appropriate to step
  back and take time out for reflection. Presenters
  are most comfortable following the instructions
  of others and are inclined to avoid situations
  requiring active personal leadership and
  responsibility.

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2 - Management vs. Leadership Focus

• Decision Maker Decision makers naturally seek to
  take control, initiate action and exercise
  leadership. They generally value time for
  personal thought and reflection and can surprise
  colleagues when they choose to exhibit forceful
  action. Consequently they benefit from careful
  consideration of how best to influence others
  through the deployment of trusted colleagues.
  Typically somewhat private and socially reserved
  they may need to focus on opportunities to build
  a wider network of personal business contacts.
• Communicator Communicators relate to others in a
  confident and relaxed manner, presenting a
  convincing case and taking action that is in line
  with the vision and strategy. By inspiring and
  persuading others they overcome barriers and get
  people on board. They naturally prefer to take
  control and exercise personal leadership and can
  benefit from considering when it is more
  appropriate to take time out for reflection and
  to let others take the lead.

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3 Gaining Support

• Corporate Leaders need to support others to gain
  their trust and support in return. This requires
  recognizing the concerns of people and
  reconciling them with the agenda for change.
  Leaders need to empower broad-based action and
• generate early short-term wins to prove the
  benefit of change.

Preferred
Change Agent
Adventurer
Adapting Coping
Team Player
Defender
Less Preferred
Less Preferred
Preferred
Supporting Cooperating
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3 Management vs. Leadership Focus

• Defender Defenders are strongly focused on
  pragmatic task-related aspects of the job and
  maintain effective elements of the status quo by
  stamping out distracting experiments and
  diversions. They are uncomfortable about the
  prospect of change and are less inclined to try
  new approaches for their own sake. They can feel
  uncomfortable engaging with the personal issues
  and concerns of others.
• Team Player Team Players naturally put people
  issues first, supporting colleagues and showing
  respect and positive regard towards others. Less
  inclined to try new approaches for their own
  sake, they can find it difficult to cope
  effectively with the personal pressures often
  associated with organizational change, preferring
  to focus on maintaining effective aspects of the
  status quo. They can find it difficult to make
  the hard choices sometimes required in
  organizational life.

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3 Management vs. Leadership Focus

• Adventurer Adventurers respond well to the
  challenges of change and do not worry too much
  about the possible consequences of trying new
  approaches. They are strongly focused on
  pragmatic task-related aspects of the job and
  feel uncomfortable engaging with personal issues
  and concerns of others. They tend to
  underestimate the personal challenges experienced
  by others in adapting to change and can
  unintentionally hurt others or fail to get their
  buy-in.
• Change Agent Change Agents listen to peoples
  views and concerns, and are astute at judging how
  much change is feasible in a particular
  situation. They behave consistently with a clear
  sense of personal values and show respect and
  positive regard towards others. They flourish on
  pressure and provide stability and security to
  others in times of uncertainty and change. They
  may find it difficult to make the hard choices
  and may underestimate the personal challenges
  experienced by others in adapting to change.

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4 Delivering Success

• The effective implementation of strategy requires
  operational efficiency and commercial acumen. The
  economic viability of the vision needs to be
  ensured though the achievement of efficiencies
  and by winning business in order to grow the
  organization.

Preferred
Business Driver
Entrepreneur
Enterprising and Performing
Idealist
Implementer
Less Preferred
Less Preferred
Preferred
Organizing Executing
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4 Management vs. Leadership Focus

• Idealist Idealists prefer to explore and address
  issues flexibly as they emerge. They derive
  satisfaction by applying steady effort to the
  task at hand and my find it uncomfortable and
  artificially constraining to adopt a more
  structured approach. They are less driven by
  commercial considerations or by the need for
  personal recognition or achievement, being more
  concerned with producing a high-quality
  outcome.
• Implementer Implementers specialize in getting
  things done. They follow directions and
  procedures and plan ahead, working in a
  systematic and organized manner and deriving
  satisfaction by applying a steady and consistent
  approach to the task at hand. Implementers focus
  on the delivery of a defined produce or service
  to predetermined standards and can find it
  challenging or unsettling to accommodate
  deviations from the plan.

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4 Management vs. Leadership Focus

• Entrepreneur Entrepreneurs are most effective in
  getting things started. They prefer to explore
  and address issues flexibly as they emerge and
  may find it uncomfortable and artificially
  constraining to adopt a procedural or process
  orientation. They show an active interest in
  business, commerce and finance and, being highly
  competitive and ambitious, can overlook
  opportunities to celebrate past achievements.
• Business Driver Business Drivers show an active
  interest in business, commerce and finance. They
  focus on results, achievement of personal work
  goals and objectives and career advancement. They
  identify and act upon new opportunities, planning
  ahead and working in a systematic and organized
  manner. They can find it unsettling when required
  to deviate from the plan and may overlook
  opportunities to appreciate past achievements.

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Developing Leaders
Use A Great Deal Most Admired Peer
Group 61 35 57
22 52 51 35
16 0 6
Planned career assignments
Individual one-on-one coaching
Formal in-house training
Business school executive program
Off-the-shelf study program
(1999 Fortune - The Worlds Most Admired
Companies)
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Flaws in our Approaches to Leadership Development

• Hewitt surveyed CEOs and HR executives of 240
  major U.S.-based, multinational companies
• Found that only 32 percent believed that their
  leadership development programs were effective
• Current approaches were considered too generic
• Targeted leadership development strategies should
  be based on a leadership lifecyclewhat does the
  organization need from the leader role--and
  include learning from experiences, trial and
  error, dealing with hardships and difficult
  situations, observing others.

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Developing Transformational Competencies

• Group Discussion
• Think about your own organization. For each of
  the transformational competencies
• Creating and Conceptualizing
• Leading Deciding
• Adapting Coping
• Enterprising Performing
• brainstorm one or two
• Planned Career Assignments
• Formal Training Programs

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Sample Development Activities

• Creating Conceptualizing
• Assignment Identifying a new business
  opportunity, market, product
• Training Courses on creativity, innovation
• Leading Deciding
• Assignment Leading a significant project with
  clear deliverables and timelines
• Training Business simulations leading a team,
  managing a crisis, making critical decisions

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Sample Development Activities

• Adapting Coping
• Assignment Leading a significant organizational
  change initiative
• Training Courses on change management business
  simulations that build flexibility and resilience
• Enterprising Performing
• Assignment Leading a new business venture
  rotation into a new business area
• Training Courses in strategic thinking business
  simulations that build competitive drive

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Principles of Individual Development

• MUST HAVE
• Reason to change
• Alignment to personal goals
• Data about self
• Personal development plan
• Time and practice
• ? Ongoing support

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In todays free-flowing team environment,
leaders have to have a strong core values that
they remain true to but they also have to be
adaptive. To achieve a flexible-yet-resilient
identify, you have to be willing to look
inward. Paul Wieand, quoted in Fast Company
42
The leadership journey gets interesting when you
go below the water line
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Sample Intervention A 9-Month Leadership
Development Process

• INTERSESSION
• ACTIVITIES
• Action Learning Project
• ExecutiveCoaching

• INTERSESSION
• ACTIVITIES
• Action Learning Project
• ExecutiveCoaching

• INTERSESSION
• ACTIVITIES
• Action Learning Project
• ExecutiveCoaching

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Business-Driven Action Learning The Key
Elements
Dr. Yury Boshyk, Global Executive Learning,1999
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Questions to Consider Prior to Designing a
Leadership Development Process

• What is our appetite for a formal process?
• Do we have and do we articulate a clear vision?
• Can we link leadership directly to strategy?
• Do we know our executive accountabilities and
  competencies by level?
• Where do we rank behavioural skills compared to
  technical skills?
• Can we support our own leadership when they take
  a formal role in teaching, coaching and mentoring?

46
The Corporate Leaders Job

• Doing 4 things well. . .
• Developing the Vision
• Sharing the Goals
• Gaining Support
• Delivering Success

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The Corporate Leaders Journey The road is
long, with many a winding turnthat you cant
always see.