Who’s Responsible for Leadership Development in Your Organization?
By Michael Wilkinson, Managing Director, Leadership Strategies, Inc.
In our training course, From Management to Leadership, we describe three levels through which leaders develop. In a previous newsletter article, we described these levels in detail as summarized below.
Level 1 is an overseer. When people are first named to head up a team or a department, they typically become task-focused. They become an overseer, where they are just trying to get the job done. Their focus is on getting the tasks done, on time and within budget.
Once leaders understand what it takes to be successful in the work, they then begin to realize that they can be more effective if their people are more effective. When that happens, they make the leap to Level 2. They go from being an overseer to a coach.
Level-2 leaders focus on communicating the overall picture of what they are trying to accomplish. They delegate, groom, and maximize people's strengths. Level-2 leaders make sure everyone understands the overall goals and principles of operation.
While Level-1 leaders focus on task and Level-2 leaders focus on people, Level-3 leaders focus on the future. They are constantly forward focused. They want to know where everything is going and how decisions today will impact the future. They consistently ask themselves questions such as, "How do we align our efforts with the business objectives? Where is the business going? What do our customers want? What is coming down the pike that we need to be preparing for today? What do we need to be doing today to better align our business for the future?"
But who is responsible for leadership development inside an organization? Who is responsible for making sure leaders progress through the levels?
- Some might say that leadership development is the responsibility of the top executive.
- Others might say that all leaders are responsible for developing the leaders under them.
- And still others might say each individual is responsible for his or her own leadership development.
So which is it? Who is responsible for leadership development? In our model, we believe everyone is responsible for leadership development. But you might be aware of the truism, "When everyone is responsible that means that no one is accountable for the result."
So we say, everyone is responsible for his or her role in leadership development. Specifically:
- Responsibility for leadership development starts at the top. Executive leadership has a responsibility to create an environment for leadership development. Their role is to put in place the rewards systems for leadership development, to implement the opportunities for people to learn how to develop others, and to instill in the culture the idea that it is every leader's responsibility to develop the leaders under them.
- The story does not stop there, however. In addition, every leader is responsible for developing the people under him or her.
- Yet, the story continues. Every individual is responsible for grabbing these leadership opportunities. If opportunities are offered but not taken advantage of, that too is problematic.
- And finally, every individual is responsible for developing the leaders above them. This is the feedback loop. As a person who heads up an organization, I receive a lot of feedback on how to be a better leader. Sometimes more feedback then I would like. Often humbling, but always helpful.
Note that if any of the roles is not fulfilled, leadership development breaks down inside an organization. If the environment isn't created, or if leaders don't mentor others, or if individuals don't take advantage of the opportunities, or if the feedback loop is missing, there is a leadership development breakdown inside the organization.
How strong is the leadership development in your organization? Where is the weakest link?
You can learn more powerful leadership approaches through our course, From Management to Leadership.
About the Author
Michael Wilkinson is the Managing Director of Leadership Strategies – The Facilitation Company, and a much sought after trainer, facilitator and speaker. He is a Certified Master Facilitator and a Certified Professional Facilitator, and author of The Secrets of Facilitation or The Secrets to Masterful Meetings. You can receive a signed copy through our website.
