How Leaders Actually Lead

There is no one right way to lead. Great leadership is born out of an understanding that there are a range of leadership competencies implied in any given situation. To achieve business goals, executive teams must first create and then embrace the organization's strategic vision. Then they must be able to translate that vision into business plans that harness and integrate the resources of the various functional areas of the organization. And finally, they must be able to influence others to follow them on a regular, daily course of action to carry out the plans and achieve the goals of the organization.

Leadership then, is an art form. But like all great art forms, there are skills and competencies that must be learned. So, our leadership tools are designed to be practical, not theoretical.

To help executive teams do this effectively, we recommend using Strategic Leadership Development, (SLD), a modular series of learning and development programs created by Management Research Group, (MRG). MRG's leadership model is comprised of 22 behavioral leadership practices grouped under six core leadership functions. And, each program within the suite of products can be tailored to be highly applicable to the leader's developmental needs and specific work challenges.

Linking Leadership to Strategy

The leadership practices that a manager must demonstrate depend on the organization's strategic objectives. The LEA Strategic Directions is a process designed to help create the link between business objectives and leadership practices. Starting with the organization's strategic plan, the senior executive team utilizes the Strategic Directions tool to identify a template of behaviors needed in the future to create a leadership culture aligned with the strategic plan. The result is a clear set of leadership behaviors that will help the organization achieve its strategic objectives.

Assess Current Leadership Practices

The LEA 360˚ is a powerful on-line assessment tool that provides leaders with confidential feedback from bosses, peers and direct reports. The key leadership behaviors identified in the Strategic Directions process are superimposed onto the participant's feedback report. This allows individuals to focus and prioritize their developmental efforts. This assessment tool provides information to a manager/leader on how his/her perceptions of leadership practices and behaviors compare to those of others around him/her and to the expectations of the organization.

The LEA 360˚ facilitated feedback process is clear, non-threatening and focused exclusively on development. The unique, well-researched questionnaires produce results that are highly accurate and credible. Leaders input their own perception of their leadership effectiveness compared to the 22 leadership behaviors. The leader then receives information in a consolidated feedback report from their boss, peers and direct reports that profiles the approach they are currently using in their leadership role. This profile identifies the specific areas in which they are successful as well as areas in which there is need for further development. The results are presented in graphic and narrative form, making them easy to understand, accept and apply.

Developmental Action Planning

Prior to receiving their 360˚ feedback report, leaders participate in a facilitated half-day workshop where they learn about and begin to work with the 22 leadership behaviors. The feedback report gives them clear and credible information about how effectively their current style of leadership is perceived by their boss, peers and direct reports.

They also receive the LEA Resource Guide that provides recommendations for how to improve their effectiveness as a leader, as well as customized worksheets, information and guidelines to build a developmental plan. The Guide also offers constructive coaching suggestions for each of the leadership practices. The Resource Guide can be used as a self-study guide or as the basis for that leader to work one-on-one with a coach, ensuring commitment to the process in a way that cultivates success.

Best Practices Report

The model of leadership used in the LEA 360˚ is the outcome of lessons learned from over 35 years of research and more than 250,000 assessment-based profiles of leaders across a wide range of industries, organizations and roles. As a result, MRG has developed a series of Best Practices Reports for various industries. Using the Best Practices Reports, an organization can distinguish the practices of highly effective from less effective leaders and define leadership attributes within specific function or levels.

Leadership Outcomes

The power of the Strategic Leadership Development process for each leader can be observed in the following outcomes:

• Learn specific actions and behaviors that result in effective leadership for your organization.
• Understand the impact of your personal leadership style on others.
• Develop the leadership skills needed to expand your influence in the organization.
• See how you stack up against the 22 measures of effect leadership.
• Identify the barriers to change and how to overcome them.
• Develop an action plan to help you become a better leader.