In the realm of leadership development, the journey from working on the business to working in the business represents a transformative evolution—a shift from tactical execution to strategic visioning. The good news is that leadership can be learnt. It takes focus, motivation, deliberate practice and support.
“Knowing yourself is the beginning of all wisdom.” Aristotle
Learning leadership competencies requires disciplined self-management around one’s core personality and the necessary learned behaviors to drive engagement
and performance.
Leadership Competencies
Self-Management refers to personal awareness, self-regulation, stress management, resilience, transparency and authenticity - all facets of emotional intelligence. It describes the process of managing one's emotions maturely to achieve the best outcomes. It may require positive self-talk and recovery periods to fuel peak performance in turbulent times and avoiding burn out. Successful self-management requires management of yourself and taking care of your leadership brand and reputation.
Relationship Management refers to the ability to achieve better results through better relationships. It is about getting along with others in order to get ahead. It can involve the ability to build trusting, loyal relationships with stakeholders to support retention and performance. Successful relationship management requires recognition that your own level of performance relies on the performance of your team, which in turn relies on their engagement.
Working in the Business refers to having the experience, capability and efficiency to consistently deliver great results. It requires having the energy, passion and competitive drive to stay in the performance zone. Success in this area can involve smarter prioritization of work, more delegation, better time management and more effective goal setting. It is about achieving service and operational excellence in a timely, efficient manner.
Working on the Business refers to adding extra value through innovation and strategic planning, and building motivated, accountable teams. Success in this area can involve long-term planning to achieve competitive advantage and delivering results through high-performing cultures. Leading change requires spending more time on the business, having a planning cycle, conducting regular planning reviews, and challenging poor performers.
Key Components of Leadership Evolution:
1. Self-Awareness: The journey towards effective leadership begins with self-awareness—the foundation upon which all growth and development rest. Our assessments combined with coaching facilitates this introspective journey, offering leaders valuable insights into their strengths, weaknesses, and blind spots, empowering them to lead with authenticity and purpose.
2. Strategic Vision: Working in the business demands a strategic mindset—a willingness to embrace ambiguity, anticipate future trends, and chart a course towards long-term success.
3. Empowering Others: As leaders ascend to higher levels of responsibility, their focus shifts from micromanagement to empowerment—empowering others to excel, innovate, and contribute to the organization's success.
In the dynamic landscape of leadership development, the journey from working on the business to working in the business represents a profound evolution—a transition from tactical execution to strategic visioning. At every step along this transformative journey, we can guide leaders towards self-awareness, strategic thinking, and empowered leadership to navigate this evolution with confidence, purpose, and resilience and drive organizational success in an ever-changing world.
I have several self assessment tools, that can provide a lens to see what areas of emotional intelligence are weakened. Want to learn more -- feel free to schedule a free consultation today. I want to hear your story!
Adapted from Hogan 360 by Dr Robert Hogan
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