Crisp Coaching & Consultancy Ltd, Radnor House, 46 Radnor Road, Horfield, Bristol BS7 8QY  Tel: 0844 567 6801    Company Registration Number 05379946

info@ccandc.co.uk     www.ccandc.co.uk

Tip 27 - Leading yourself to success as a Leader

ss

Leadership roles take many guises. Not only company managers, chief executives and head teachers develop as leaders, so do fathers, mothers and just about everybody, in some respect.

Our environment is increasingly complex and multi-layered.  We are all more and more aware that we don't exist separately from it and that we are all affected somehow. Climate change, bird flu, terrorism and even the contents of our shopping basket make the interdependencies between us and our surroundings very evident. Organisations of every size, our family and communities (real and virtual) are yet other layers to notice.

How can we achieve success when seemingly there are so many factors and competing elements?

One way is to develop your leadership style. Rooke and Torbert's 7 Transformations of Leadership is a great model to help with this. They say “Leaders are made, not born, and how they develop is critical for change.”

Their model describes 7 levels which they label: 1. Opportunist (5%); 2. Diplomat (12%); 3. Expert (36%); 4. Achiever (30%); 5. Individualist (10%); 6. Strategist (4%); 7. Alchemist (1%). They found that leadership effectiveness was least at the Opportunist level and most at the Alchemist level (The percentage figure shows how many at each stage of development in their research of thousands of leaders.)

1. The Opportunist asks "How can I survive?" They will tend to focus on personal wins and see the world and others as opportunities to be exploited.
2. The Diplomat asks "Do I belong?" They can therefore be tactful, loyal, respectful, but may also find it difficult to deal with conflict, give or receive criticism or take unpopular decisions.
3. The Expert asks "Who am I?" They lead through controlling the world around them through the quality of their knowledge, intellect and expert ability.
4. The Achiever asks "Am I successful?" They seek to manage people efficiently and effectively to achieve work goals.
5. The Individualist asks "Who am I really?" They have a democratic, facilitative, team-oriented, empathetic and people-focused style of leadership.
6. The Strategist asks: "What can we contribute together to make a difference?" They are clear about their gifts and are seeking to discover how to integrate them with the needs of our organisation and of society
7. The Alchemist asks: "What does the planet need?" They and their organisation lead the way in creating a sustainable future for humanity and the planet.

To be more and more effective as a leader, consider where you are now on this scale and where you would like to be. What kinds of change in perspective are needed for you to progress along this continuum?

For more information on this model see Rooke and Torbert's article in the April 2005 Harvard Business Review (pp 67-76).

A coach can help you discover and explore your development as a leader.

Click here to arrange an introductory session to find out more.