Creating Leadership That Works!
So much discussion centres on leadership. We at LeadershipHQ know as well as anyone, because of course we add to it!
In all the sentences, articles and conversations, it can be difficult to assess what appears to be most important in terms of skill and behaviour, for you personally as a leader as well as for your performance. One size never fits all, but sometimes, it would be helpful if there was a code or a guideline to help make some of the decisions and strategies easier, or for emerging leaders to concentrate their attention when seeking to improve their performance.
Mckinsey & Company surveyed 189,000 people across 81 organisations around the world to help identify patterns around the behaviours and leadership skills that should be encouraged. Based on their own extensive experience, they came up with a list of 20 leadership traits which they then surveyed against the extensive sample. In their article “Decoding Leadership, What really matters” they shared their findings in detail but one of the most compelling findings was
“Leaders In Organisations With High-Quality Leadership Teams Typically Displayed 4 Of The 20 Possible Types Of Behaviour; These 4, Indeed, Explained 89 Percent Of The Variance Between Strong And Weak Organisations In Terms Of Leadership Effectiveness (Exhibit).”
4 kinds of behaviour were found to make up 89% of leadership effectiveness.
Behaviours Leading To Leadership Effectiveness:
1. Solving Problems Effectively.
This was an unsurprising inclusion, and whilst it seems like a simple process of information gathering, assessment and decision making any leader knows it’s not always as simple as that. Whether large or small, problems solved well sets the best leaders apart from the rest.
2. Operating with a strong results orientation.
Identifying and prioritising the highest value work and then encouraging the importance of efficiency and productivity in these areas brings results and keeps everyone focussed on task and goals. Setting objectives and communicating a vision are only successful if they are followed through with a results driven focus.
3. Seeking different perspectives.
Being blinkered and restricted in information gathering doesn’t always give the full picture. Leaders who are not only aware of organisational as well as industry trends and changes, but seek input from team members and other stakeholders reduce bias in their decision making. This results in a better analysis across a number of dimensions and therefore better decisions and performances.
4. Supporting others.
Another inclusion that was expected, leaders who care and consider how others feel, show interest, build relationships and therefore trust help to inspire and motivate others to overcome challenges are a cut above.
There is no formula to leadership, and no two leaders or roles are ever the same, nor should they be, and the very best leaders are adaptable and continuously learning. However, this research does provide valuable information that might help you direct your own learning and development.
If you feel we can help you in these areas or any others, please contact us to discuss solutions, programs and interventions that will help you and your organisation to achieve maximum success.