Leadership Development Process

For a long time, I have been working with squads, who are assuring that all of our leaders are welcoming the new Leadership style which is absolutely essential in today’s dynamic business.

“Leaders aren’t born, they are made. And they are made just like anything else, through hard work. And that’s the price we’ll have to pay to achieve that goal, or any goal.” – Vince Lombardi

This can not be one particular leadership style to continue in today’s disruptive environment.

It has to be the consolidation of many best styles testified to by many leaders in various circumstances.

After evaluating several years we recognized that to simplify the leadership process, it has to concentrate on 3 significant areas.

1. Leading SELF:

Leadership development is self-development - John G Agno

“You don’t lead by pointing and telling people some place to go. You lead by going to that place and making a case.” – Ken Kesey

All the leaders have to be deliberately concentrating on building up their SELF. Whatever it is, whatever state the self is in. The Self is the fundamental driver or foundation for any leader development in the digital era.

Self-development is an incredibly massive area like the ocean and takes a lifetime to polish and mature. Things are in the constantly changing condition, the same way individuals are adapting rapidly to endure with new circumstances.

It is a life-long striving.

We observe the individuals who have an exceedingly robust self, they could able to steer through many complex circumstances. 

As a coach, we require to constantly polish our SELF and recognize what it chooses to advance anyone’s SELF . and enable others to expand their SELF

2. Leading OTHERS:

Before you are a leader, success is all about growing yourself. When you become a leader, success is all about growing others. Jack Welch

Another vital area that we have witnessed is the competence to LEAD OTHERS. 

This is again another vast knowledge area like an ocean and will take a lifetime to master this area.

This is an art and leading others takes many years of performance to master this art.

Whenever your SELF is polished, it would be natural to connect with others. Others should get benefits because of your sophisticated SELF. 

Once you give your best to others, others will follow you.

The moment you build more leaders like you, you will have many followers and you develop into a legitimate leader.

Another vital area we realized that to strengthen Self and leading others, we require many varied tools and skills.

These are enablers for any leaders to strengthen their SELF and leading OTHERS skills

Every individual is unique, what works for one individual may not perform for others. So every individual should search for their own tools and polish their skills.

Let us glance into the metaphor of the tree to understand the Leadership development process. It looks extremely simple but takes a lifetime to be like this.

Let us take any big giant tree. What creates such a giant tree to stand for long years with all types of extreme weather. We admire such trees wherever we discover them near our places. Close your eyes and visualize such a tree you have visited recently.

They are deep-rooted. It took several years to travel inside several kilometres bottom of the earth for the search of nutrition, minerals for such a giant tree. They suck those nutrients and transport them back to the upper part of the tree. Leading SELF is like this analogy(Bottom part of the tree). Leaders who are impressive, they have extremely deep-rooted SELF, they recognize who they are? Why they are here in this system? they are stable and strong mentally. Their self is well developed and took many years of deliberate reflection process and action to advance their SELF like an oak tree, big banyan tree, etc.

The upper part of the tree is for others. All types of trees help mother earth and individuals in some of the other ways, by producing fruit, air, shade, shelters, etc.

Leading others is like helping all the individuals with whatever strengths you have, and through that that you are some way enabling others. Your strength is helping who are weak and they are building up from your strength. They will come to you more because you support them, comfort them.

To develop into a great tree, trees use air, water, mineral, wind pressure, cyclone all these are tools and skills for the tree. Those make a vigorous tree or a powerful leader.

Let us use one more analogy to explain our leadership framework, what we are proposing. 

Look at the suspension bridge, why suspension bridge is one of the finest civil engineering marvels?

A suspension bridge (more precisely, suspended-deck suspension bridge) is a type of bridge in which the deck (the load-bearing portion) is hung below suspension cables on vertical suspenders. The first modern examples of this type of bridge were built in the early 1800s.

This type of bridge has cables suspended between towers, with vertical suspender cables that transfer the live and dead loads of the deck below, upon which traffic crosses.

The main forces in a suspension bridge of any type are tension in the cables and compression in the pillars. Since almost all the force on the pillars is vertically downwards, and the bridge is also stabilized by the main cables.

Let us imagine, we choose to grow into an excellent leadership position, from a Technical lead position to become a Senior Vice president position.

It a lengthy journey, like a bridge. Taking individual from point A to Point B.

For our leadership development bridge, your SELF is the fundamental pillars of this bridge. the stronger your SELF is established, it would be comfortable for you to reach your destination without any disappointment, You will grow into a more stable bridge with better endurance. The self is a pressing force in the suspension bridge. The SELF is the main 2 pillars of the suspension bridge.

Your cables are how comfortable for you to influence others. It stretches all of your skills to influence others, pursue others, inspire others, etc. It is a pulling force. 

When both these force works effectively, the Leadership bridge will function flawlessly and people can reach the destination without any issue. Even in harsh weather, the bridge assures that nothing will happen to the commuters on the bridge.

As both, the forces are perfectly working smoothly.

It takes hell lot of tools and skills to build such a bridge and many years of endeavor to obtain the result. 

To strengthen ourselves as a better leader, to develop into an outstanding leader, we have to work on our SELF and the capability to lead OTHERS also requires to strengthen. We can develop into an enormous banyan tree or oak or Golden gate bridge, Brooklyn bridge....…

“Leadership is a function of knowing yourself, having a vision that is well communicated, building trust among colleagues, and taking effective action to realize your own leadership potential.” – Warren Bennis

“Leadership is not magnetic personality, that can just as well be a glib tongue. It is not “making friends and influencing people”, that is flattery. Leadership is lifting a person’s vision to higher sights, the raising of a person’s performance to a higher standard, the building of a personality beyond its normal limitations.” — Peter F. Drucker

What do you think?

I am developing my tree like below..

How can I keep Track of my progress?

Let us retrospect where we are in all these 3 pyramids.

Level 1 is Novice and Level 5 is Master

How appropriate are you at your “Leading Self” Pyramid ?

Please rank the 1-5 scale, 5 being the highest. Please give it a thought while rating yourself. It is you who require to upgrade the present state.

1. I have my Purpose clearly defined, and I am constantly examining my Purpose? Rate 1-5 scale, 5 is the Highest.

2. I am driven by my Value and belief. I can rate my value-driven progress at? Rate 1-5 scale, 5 is the Highest.

3. I am Passionate to attain my purpose and thoroughly working on it? Rate 1-5 scale, 5 is the Highest.

4. How far am I to reach at the Self Actualization state? Rate 1-5 scale, 5 is the Highest.

5. I am constantly monitoring my Emotional Intelligence status and I can rate my EQ state is at? Rate 1-5 scale, 5 is the Highest.

6. I am Self-driven and I know how to re-energize myself. I can rate my Motivation state is at? Rate 1-5 scale, 5 is the Highest.

7. I am always Optimist and learn from my Setback. I can rate my Positivity state is at? Rate 1-5 scale, 5 is the Highest.

8. I invariably seek for New Ways of working. I can rate my Growth mindset state is at? Rate 1-5 scale, 5 is the Highest.

9. I am always Curious and ask powerful questions to discover the unknown. I can rate my competence to discover the unique thing is at? Rate 1-5 scale, 5 is the Highest.

10. I am learning anything very rapidly with Deliberate practice. I can rate my learning ability at? Rate 1-5 scale, 5 is the Highest.

11. I continually monitor my Self-state and refine, I invariably look into my Ego and cultivate, I look into my mental Bias and review. I can rate my mental inspection frequently exercise at? Rate 1-5 scale, 5 is the Highest.

Leading Self, the rate is = 55/55 = 100%, You are at Level 5 in Leading Self Pyramid Hierarchy!

How good are you at your “Leading Others” Pyramid?

Please rank the 1-5 scale, 5 being the highest. Please give it a thought while rating yourself. It is you who require to upgrade the current state.

1. I am Empathetic to my companions. I am continuously developing my empathetic skill, I can rate myself at 1-5 scale at?

2. I ensure I Trust my companions, I am credible and Trustable, I am continually working on these skills, I can rate myself at 1-5 scale at?

3. I Engage my companions, I energize, empower, and encourage my team members, I can rate myself at 1-5 scale at?

4. I Coach my companions, I am constantly refining my coaching skills, I can rate myself at 1-5 scale at?

5. I am cognizant of Social skill, behavior science, I am working on this to build up my social intelligence, I can rate myself at 1-5 scale at?

6. I am great a Collaborator, I am the chief catalyst for a collaborator, I can rate myself in 1-5 scale at?

7. I am excellent at Change management, I am a change agent, I work on this topic to strengthen myself, I can rate myself in 1-5 scale at?

8. I ensure I create Psychological Safe heaven at the organization, I welcome feedback and take action to enhance my competency, I can rate myself in 1-5 scale at?

9. I strive for winning the heart and mind of my companions, I can rate myself in 1-5 scale at?

10. I am a storyteller and I facilitate, influence better my companions though this approach, I can rate myself in 1-5 scale at?

Leading Others, the rate is = 50/50 = 100%, You are at Level 5 in Leading Others Pyramid Hierarchy!

Let us spin these skills and polish continuously...