The Little Book of Leadership Development

Stephanie Allen, Mitchell KUSY

• Publisher: AMACOM
• Year: 2011
• ISBN:
  9780814417577
• Topic: Economics
• Subtopic: Development Economics
• Index: Economics

Authors Scott J. Allen and Mitchell Kusy redefine what we think of as traditional leadership in this tangible book that ascribes flexible yet concrete and proven actions to what can be a very abstract term.

Rather than delving into lengthy exposition and analysis to help you understand what leadership is and how to develop it for yourself, this practical book enables you to design a straightforward system tailored to your team and organizational needs.

Free of complicated theories, The Little Book of Leadership Development focuses on what really works to motivate others, encourage productivity, and equip future leaders. The book delivers streamlined instructions on fifty practical strategies, including:

• modeling behaviors,
• sharing information,
• building accountability,
• stretching teams,
• and providing feedback.

Managers with the ability to self-reflect and a willingness to implement these ideas will see quick improvements--in communication, efficiency, morale, and every other measure. The Little Book of Leadership Development goes straight to the heart of what it takes to be a great leader, so you can spend less time studying skills and more time developing a committed team of emerging leaders.

Development by Modeling Effective Leadership

[1]

Clarify Team Expectations

RESEARCH INDICATES that leaders who set clearly defined expectations and agreed-on levels of performance are more likely to get positive results than leaders who don’t.

This is an essential concept for you and your team. It seems so obvious, but think about it for a moment: What does your boss think of the work you are doing? Are your best interests at heart? Are expectations explicitly stated? Now, returning to your department and those who work for you, what are the perceptions of your team members? Are they shared perceptions? In other words, what would they think of the statements in “Box 2. Clear Expectations”? Would they respond with disagreement, neutrality, or agreement?

Could members of your team answer these questions with confidence? In our experience, for many supervisors, the answer may be no. Your team needs to know your expectations, goals, vision, and, most important, how each individual adds value. Better yet, develop these as a group. This may seem over the top, but in the end, people support what they help create. This tip will help you gain commitment, not simply compliance. The more your team members are part of developing group norms, the more they will buy in to them.

BOX 2. CLEAR EXPECTATIONS

I disagree, am neutral, or agree with the following statements:

1. I have a job description that clearly describes my responsibilities.

2. I receive consistent coaching from my supervisor on the work I produce.

3. I have a clear picture of what my supervisor expects of our team.

4. I have a clear picture of what my supervisor expects from me.

5. I have clearly defined goals.

[2]

Model the Way

SOCIAL LEARNING THEORISTS who study how we learn found that when children watched violent TV shows and saw people rewarded for this violence, they were more likely to demonstrate violent behavior. In a similar vein, if you are unethical, it is to be expected that those around you will see this behavior and, in some unfortunate cases, model it, as well. A great barometer for this is how you spend the organization’s money when traveling. Another is what you say about others in your organization. Do you put other departments and individuals down? If so, it’s likely others on your team will, too. Emotions and behaviors are contagious.

As a leader, people will use you as a model of how to function in the organization. Think about the departments with which you have the most difficulty. Is it a reflection of the leader? Does the environment they foster affect your feelings toward those departments? Are they living up to their potential? Are they modeling what your organization values? Turn your attention to departments that you respect. What are the differences among the leaders and departments?

Now, critically examine your own department. What are people’s perceptions of your team? Is your department one that people rely upon? Is it respected? The environment and culture you create will often determine success or failure. Frequently, we subconsciously recruit (and retain) people who are similar to ourselves. Take a close look at yourself. Are the behaviors, policies, and cultural norms modeled by you developing others? Are they behaviors that will allow others to succeed and progress within the organization?

An excellent test of this process is to really observe how people react to you. Consider team meetings, one-on-one sessions with your team members, and even large social events. If you can’t get a “pulse” on this, we suggest you ask others for their feedback. Of course, it certainly depends upon whom you ask. So, ask others who are not likely to give you what you want to hear, but will give you honest and meaningful feedback. Then, change those areas of your style that you would not want modeled by others. You don’t have to do this subtly. It’s perfectly okay (and we suggest this) to tell others what you are doing and why. Honesty is something you want modeled, as well.

[3]

Recognize and Reward Achievement

HOW DO YOU REWARD and recognize your team? Let’s face it, reward and recognition are motivators for some individuals. It’s a fundamental part of human nature to seek and respond to rewards.

What is rewarded in your organization? What is rewarded in your department? We often work with organizations that talk about the importance of employee recognition, but rarely do we encounter an organization that consistently follows through. All too often, we learn that our clients only reward results, no matter what kind of collateral damage they may have done in the wake of their focus on results alone. Or even worse, some leaders simply provide team members with their annual 3 percent raise regardless of development or concrete results.

We suggest that, if you hope to create a culture of continuous development in your organization, you reward people for committing to this endeavor. If you do not, “personal development” will simply become words without action in your organization. Of course, we are saying neither that the organization needs to spend millions on reward systems, nor that you as the leader must develop an elaborate scheme for recognition and rewards.

Throw the work back to your team members. Ask them to develop a simple system that works within your budget and acknowledges those who continually grow and develop in their roles. Encourage team members to brainstorm rewards and then have them attach their names to those areas that are most significant to them. Yes, money may come out on top. If you have power over this, great. If not, it’s important to remember that money is only a short-term motivator. For true long-term motivation factors, look beyond money.

The best thing about reward and recognition is that it doesn’t need to cost a penny. Get creative. One organization we worked with relied heavily upon peer recognition. Each month, an employee would pass along a simple award to another employee, and so on—classic peer-to-peer recognition. The award is not necessarily important. What is important to note is that the award was developed by team members. Staff members chose the award, and they chose the recipients month after month. What could this look like in your department? If not given monthly, could it be a quarterly award? Could the entire group vote on the recipient? The details are not important—let your team figure those out. What is important is that you have facilitated reward and recognition in your department, something we could all use more of. Something we all appreciate. Something that makes people feel good about the work they do.

[4]

Model Effective Confrontation

ANYONE IN MANAGEMENT knows that difficult conversations are a major part of the game. For a new manager (and even seasoned ones) these conversations can be difficult to navigate and, in our experience, people work more from their “default” style than an intentional approach, depending on the context. For instance, a manager who tends to avoid conflict, as a default, will likely bring this to the workplace as well. Of course, in some instances avoiding conflict may be appropriate, but in others not. In all likelihood, you have worked for someone with this default approach and, as a result, problems festered and the culture suffered.

In all reality, there are five simple approaches to conflict that include competing/forcing, accommodating, collaborating, avoiding, and compromising.⁶ It is important to underscore, once again, that each of these styles has a time and a place. In addition, each one of us likely has one or two that we “go to” on a consistent basis. Likewise, there are others that you are less versed in. For instance, avoiding conflict may be difficult for an individual conditioned to always use a more combative style. The five styles are:

Competing/Forcing—When an individual employs a competing/forcing style, his primary objective is to get his way—oftentimes, regardless of what others think. Of course this can cause hard feelings or make others feel “walked upon,” but at times this is a necessary approach to be heard, as when others are taking advantage, when others are in danger, or when immediate compliance is required.

Accommodating—Individuals who employ an accommodating style want to please people and spend a lot of energy meeting the needs of others—often in an attempt to maintain a sense of harmony. The downside of this style is that the accommodator can get walked on by others.

Collaborating—Often called the “win-win,” this approach to conflict creates space for mutual dialogue. By doing so, parties examine how the needs of each can be met. The great benefit of this approach is that mutual needs are met and this approach identifies new options not previously considered.

Avoiding—Managers who avoid conflict do not confront the necessary interpersonal challenges that exist in an organization. Ultimately, this approach allows problems to persist.

Compromising—The objective of this approach is to make a quick decision. However, a challenge may be that each party must “give up” something, and in the end, no one is happy. Likewise, in an effort to make a quick decision, the solution may not always be the best long-term approach.

We imagine that each of these is simple enough to understand. However, mastery of each style is incredibly challenging. In real time, people often revert to their defaults versus intentionally choosing an approach that may be the best fit for the situation. What is your default? How does that help and hinder you as a leader? How does it stall progress for your team?

[5]

Provide Challenge and Support

YOU HAVE HEARD these terms before. However, it is important to step back and think of the level of challenge and support each of those working for you has. Do some team members feel overwhelmed and undersupported? Are others supported, but not necessarily challenged? In our experience, we have found that, for each person, this invisible line is different. One size does not fit all, because each of us is unique (e.g., work ethic, stamina, level of intelligence, and personality). Some of these differences are “nature” (inherent in our personalities) while others are “nurture” (based on our life experiences and environment).

When people try to manage with a one-size-fits-all approach, they simply cannot get the best out of each individual. It is much more complicated than that. Challenging experiences help individuals develop and grow. They push people out of their comfort zones and into new places. We call this “the edge.” You know you are at your edge when you have that nervous feeling in your stomach, a feeling of uncertainty as to how things will turn out. For some, this may be public speaking; for others, it may be a deadline or a sales goal. Along with challenge, a supportive working environment develops trust and lets people know that they will be safe when they are placed in situations outside their comfort zones. Few people take risks in an environment where they don’t feel supported. Have you ever worked in a place like that?

Applying this concept to organizations specifically, Buckingham and Coffman demonstrated that when people get a new job they are typically most excited about the organization, but they leave because of a lousy boss.⁷ Think about it. When you get a new job, most of the conversations revolve around the role and the organization. You might have mentioned a little about your boss (if you met her during the interviewing process). However, when you left the position, you likely spoke less about the organization and more about your boss.

Again, people leave organizations because of bad bosses. In their book The High Impact Leader, the authors suggest that the latest research indicates leaders who display and develop confidence, optimism, hope, and resiliency in others are effective in their leadership roles.⁸ Do you do this for those around you? Or are you a disruptive and uncivil leader who leads with toxic behaviors, as described in Kusy and Holloway’s book...