The Head of R&D in an organisation gets feedback time and again that he needs to be able to go beyond just technical expertise and focus on building a culture, motivating people, taking them along and getting work done through them. He is sent to some training programs and also coached personally to acquire these abilities.
He puts in a lot of effort towards this, however, within a few months he gives up, unable to bring about any significant shifts.
This is an oft repeated scenario with organisational leaders the world over, for learning agendas, that include the ability to handle conflict effectively, channelising anger, being a team player, being an innovator and visionary among many others. The world today has complexities and uncertainties that are ever changing and leaders are expected to adapt to these and deliver results without a respite. There is a constant need to acquire new abilities to ensure this in these disruptive times.
Limitations in Traditional Leadership Programs
Traditional Leadership Development programs seek to address these needs through static, outdated case studies, studying great leaders and their qualities, some models and basic skills to shift behaviour.
These programs do not look at the mindsets that hold behaviour in place. Human beings are like icebergs. The tip of the iceberg represents the behaviour which is only about 10%. The remaining 90% lies below the waterline. This comprises of the thoughts, feelings, beliefs, values and life experiences which are the drivers of the behaviour. These need to be looked at for bringing about sustainable shifts.
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Transformative programs deliver effective change
Leadership Development Programs that address transformation of individuals from deep within and not just incremental change, are the need of the hour. The primary objective should be to help leaders go on an inner journey, cultivate self-awareness, shift their mindsets and develop skills that allow them to adapt and lead powerfully.
Over the past 15 years our team at Life Learning Solutions Pvt Ltd, have had the satisfaction of delivering significant change and hope to the people who have participated in our programs.
A Factory Head was known for his constant face-offs with the union resulting in an environment of distrust and hostility. He was nominated to a Leadership Development Program with us and also assigned a coach by us to address his aggressive behaviour.
During the course of the program, he realised that his aggressive behaviour was driven by early life experiences of being bullied; his belief was that ‘people are always out to get me’ and his value was protecting self respect. Processing this belief and his life experiences allowed him to shift his mindset around conflict.
After this, skill training using nonviolent communication and mindfulness allowed him to completely reinvent himself and his relationship with the union.
Effective Leadership Development programs must focus on two clear goals
- Empowering Self
- What does it take to be a leader?
- What happens when you are no longer a spectator on the stands, but are actually playing the game in the field of your life?
- How does one deal with disempowering beliefs and mindsets and create a life which is meaningful and inspiring?
Empowering Self must concentrate on laying a foundation for leadership with an individual so that he /she relates to his / her life with a sense of purpose, creation and responsibility.
- Enabling Others
- How can one lead others without being dictatorial or submissive?
- Is there a right way of motivating teams?
- What is the best way of evaluating performance and aligning the team to the organisation’s vision?
Building a robust leadership pipeline is a key responsibility for Senior Managers. Enabling Others must focus on empowering people, getting them to be aware and build responsibility and competence.
Our endeavour, through our programs, is to enable Leaders, as well as facilitators and coaches, to be fully equipped for such work. They therefore go through an intensive development program called ‘Enablers of Leadership Transformation’, (ELTP), which looks at Leadership Development holistically.
You can know more about our ELTP program through this link.
http://lifelearningsolutions.com/eltp/ . The next ELTP starts in August, 2017.
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