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50 TOP EXECUTIVE COACHES
Challenge the Process
Leaders search for opportunities by seeking innovative ways to change, grow, and
improve. Leaders also experiment and take risks
by constantly generating
small wins and learning from mistakes.
Enable Others to Act
Leaders foster collaboration
by promoting cooperative goals and building
trust. They strengthen others by sharing power and discretion.
Encourage the Heart
To keep hope and determination alive, leaders recognize contributions
by
showing appreciation for individual excellence. They also celebrate the values and
the victories by creating a spirit of community.
When providing individuals with feedback on their leadership competencies, I
use The Leadership Practices Inventory (LPI),
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which Barry and I developed
during our research. The LPI is a highly valid and reliable measure of leadership
behavior, and we’ve used it since 1986 in a wide variety of organizational
settings and in numerous countries.
Contrary to some in the field of leadership development who advocate only
building on strengths, we believe it’s essential to work on weaknesses as well. We
liken it to a pentathlon. There are five events in a pentathlon, and if you’re going
to compete in it, you have to compete in all five. You can’t say, “Well, I’m really
not a very fast runner, so I think I’ll
skip that event.” If you do, you’re
disqualified.
It’s the same with leadership. There are five practices (in our model), and
if you’re going to lead, you have to engage in all of them. Sure, you may be
better at some than others, but you still have to
improve in all of them. If
you chose not to participate in all of them, you’re disqualified. You’re saying
with your behavior, “I really don’t want to be a better leader.”
The Unity Challenge
To build strong and viable organizations, people must be united in a common
cause—united on where they ’re going, united on why they ’re going there,
and united on the principles that will guide them on their journey. Although
members may comply with what the leader says, they will not be fully com-
mitted until they own those words themselves. None of us perform at our
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