By Brian Jones
Just My E-pinion
“Our senior leaders just don’t get it!” This refrain is heard all too frequently, especially during discussions regarding an organization’s leadership development efforts, says Brian Jones, today’s guest columnist.
We all want our senior leaders to “get it”—to support, participate, and buy in to the organization’s leadership development initiatives. We know for sure what it looks like when senior leadership is not bought in—fragmented communication, unclear direction, and few breakthrough results. But what does it look like when senior leadership “gets it”?
A senior leadership that “gets it” incorporates the leadership development needs of the organization into its strategic planning process.
What leaders are learning and the ways in which they are being developed should be a reflection of the organization’s strategic goals. For instance, if a major strategic initiative is to dramatically grow the business, leaders should be trained on how to lead during times of growth and how to deal with capacity issues.
Instant 24/7 access to all your job descriptions. Start with our 2,400 description library. We store, you customize, print, download, email. Go here for info
Development planners should actively seek senior leadership’s input on what the most pressing business needs of the organization are and how the leadership development efforts can work to meet these needs.
At the same time, senior leaders should ensure there is an active linkage between the organization’s strategic plan and the leadership development curriculum.
A recent Baptist Leadership Institute Web poll showed that about 65 percent of the respondents agreed or strongly agreed that senior leaders in their organization are taking active steps to make sure the strategic plan and the leadership development efforts are aligned.
A senior leadership that “gets it” is visibly engaged in leadership development, including teaching and actively participating in course work.
At Baptist Health Care, one of our leadership development mantras is that “Baptist leaders should teach Baptist leaders how to be Baptist leaders.”
If senior leaders are not actively engaged in teaching, then they are not truly committed to leadership development. Taking the time to teach and develop other leaders is the price of leadership. A healthy culture will allow no compromise on this point.
Slightly more than half (53 percent) of poll respondents agreed or strongly agreed that senior leaders are visibly engaged in leadership development.
A senior leadership that “gets it” holds leaders accountable for implementing skills learned in the organization’s leadership development journey.
On this item, we saw less optimism reflected by our web poll respondents. Only 41 percent agreed or strongly agreed that their senior leadership applies accountability to leadership development.
Leadership development without accountability is just “putting butts in seats” and expecting our cultures to change as a result. That doesn’t bring breakthrough results.
Easily create, maintain, and organize your job descriptions with this online job description tool. With more than 2,400 customizable job titles at your fingertips, job descriptions have never been this easy. Go here for info
Esteemed executive coach Marshall Goldsmith says, “A lot of what passes for leadership development in companies can be a waste of time.” See if you recognize this process, he says. At a convention, you’re entertained by a parade of speakers, and afterward you’re required to critique the speakers and rate how effective they were. And you may be asked to critique the hotel and the food. But nobody is critiquing you. Nobody is following up to see what you learned or if you have actually become a more effective leader.
So who’s learning (and changing) the most? The speakers, the hotel staff members, and the cooks.
Do the Senior Leaders in Your Organization “Get It”?
I hope so. In my experience working with organizations and helping them create healthy cultures, I have seen that a strong commitment from senior leadership is absolutely necessary to create anything more than casual, cosmetic change.
The good news is that with senior leadership’s involvement and commitment, nothing can stop the organization’s pursuit of excellence!
What do you think? Do the senior leaders in your organization “get it”? Use the Share Your Comments link below.
Brian Jones is a consultant with the Baptist Leadership Institute.
I usually understand the column–I think this time, ya tried to be a little too “all encompassing” — could you re-run it, being a little more specific?
I worked for a company made up of senior leaders that were closed minded and had no clue as to leadership develpment. I tried as one of the senior leaders who “did get it” for 9 years to suggest to them what we need to do. I finally resigned!
Instead of (or in addition to) observing the symptomatic behavior that leaders “just don’t get it,” take a step back to diagnose the root cause. Is it an organizational culture issue? Lack of a shared vision? Lack of clarity around personal or organizational values?
Through Lutheran Services in Iowa and Seton Hall University, I have a dual role as a practitioner and professor of leadership development programs. I have found the practices in The Leadership Challenge by James Kouzes & Barry Posner to be universally applicable in identifying not only the “what,” but also examing the “why” in order to deliver the right kind of “how.”