Whether you are planning to lead on tackling a problem in your organisation or an opportunity to improve your own leadership, diagnosis comes first. A mechanic should not start stripping the engine before conducting some diagnostics. Nor should you buy a personal development book without asking yourself what type of book might serve you best.
In The Practice of Adaptive Leadership, Heifetz et al makes the point very clearly that there are two core processes to leadership. Diagnosis and action. And that diagnosis precedes action. They present a 2x2 matrix showing the four different positions you could be taking in your leadership role. I have gone one step further and named the quadrants with the key action you should be undertaking in each. See Figure 1.
I remember one poignant moment early in the program that brought home to me that I was in a leadership DEVELOPMENT program, and not a program to reward only my exceptional leadership.
We were split into teams and I was picked by the team as team leader. We also had to pick a deputy leader. I quickly nominated a person in the team who I liked and had developed some respect for. There was immediate rebellion in the team and I was quick to learn that while they had elected me their leader, they had not elected me as universal decision maker on all things affecting the team.
The learning curve had begun. I was in a Leadership DEVELOPMENT Program and the diagnosis had started!
Stay safe and adapt - quickly.
__________________________________________________________________________________
Bryan's new book teaches you practical methods to cut through with your advice and make the impact you want to make. Available on Amazon or order here now.
YOUR DECISIONS DEFINE YOU.
Available on Amazon or order here now.
Bryan Whitefield works with strategic leaders across all sectors to help organisations harness uncertainty – uncertainty is the strategic leader’s best friend. He is the author of DECIDE: How to Manage the Risk in Your Decision Making and Winning Conversations: How to turn red tape into blue ribbon. He is the designer of the Risk Culture: Build Your Tribe of Advocates Program for support functions and the Persuasive Adviser Program for internal advisers. Both can be booked individually or in-house. For more information about Bryan, please click here.
Comments