The business world is in a state of unprecedented change. So for many HR professionals it’s a frustrating task having to choose from the vast range of leadership and management manuals and courses relevant for their organisation in today’s marketplace.
The main problem is that many leadership models cover the various “doing” techniques and theories but fail to develop a comprehensive model of development – which means that before reaching the end of a book or training course you somehow feel something is missing.
There is however a viable alternative that takes this frustration into account. Legacy Leadership® is a model based upon the best-selling book by Doctors Sandstrom and Smith that outlines a complete set of practices, behaviours, attitudes and values that addresses every aspect of successful leadership - a way of being not just doing.
Many organisations have a set of competencies or KPI’s which measure their leaders’ performances, others do not. In either case, Legacy Leadership® provides a sound structure for such competencies to reside. In simple terms, the model offers a structural map of 5 best practices for leaders to have a complete picture of their and others leadership development.
Legacy then is not just something you leave behind but rather something you live today. By intentionally working towards these five best practices your are “living - not leaving” your legacy. Inherent in this is a fundamental leadership shift - a move away from self focus to a focus on others and developing other leaders.
This shift is a move away from 1960’s “situational leadership” models which are based upon, some would say, obsolete concepts when leadership was seen as a top down affair.
These models allow you to analyze the needs of the situation you are in, and then use the most appropriate leadership style. Depending on employees’ competences in their task areas and level of commitment your leadership style should vary from one person to another. Such models have two things in common - the focus is on what the person in charge is doing and how the leaders make decisions.
The first obvious point to make here is - Is leadership fundamentally about making decisions based upon the situation you are in? In effect anyone in position of responsibility makes these types of decisions, but is this leadership? In reality, leadership involves a whole spectrum of skills, behaviors and values.
Secondly, the reality of leadership today is that it should no longer be seen as just something that only the person in charge does. Leadership exists at every level in every organisation. We need to move to away from focusing on how the person “at the top” leads and start looking at how all employees can show leadership.
Clearly the world is moving in new directions: socially, economically, environmentally and politically. Surely with the present political sea change this is the time, if ever we needed it, for those who hold training budgets or deliver courses, as well as those positions of power to embrace a framework of practices, behaviours, attitudes and values that addresses every aspect of successful leadership.
Achieving greatness in leadership requires so much more than just doing the right things in the right circumstances. It’s about being a leader first of all, by having the right attitude, mind-set, understanding and desire to create other leaders. Leadership practices should embrace both vision and accountability, strong long term business relationships, as well as maximizing the need for a system of inclusion that understands diversity and difference.
This would be the time to face the hard facts that the world should not revolve around rampant self interest and short term reactions to crisis. This cult of leadership individualism shouldn’t have a long term place in Romania’ s social business life. The time is right for leadership choice to be made, not only in what leadership is understood to be but also the models that we introduce in our training development programmes. Some companies are slowly starting to realize that the time is right for change. The question is are you?
For details of Legacy Leadership® programmes contact Oliver Perkins – Brainovate, at oliver@brainovate.com
