Some of my coaching clients find themselves in a role where they consider themselves to be managing rather than leading. Others don’t currently manage people but hope to do so and want to show that they are ready for leadership. Both parties often bring to a coaching session this question: how can I lead without a leadership position?
A few years ago, McKinsey report into leadership behaviours asked 189000 people from 81 organisations around the world which types of leadership behaviour was most frequently demonstrated. They were given twenty different behaviour types to choose from, including remaining composed in uncertainty to giving praise.
McKinsey found that in high-performing organisations, four types of behaviour accounted for 89% of effective leadership. They are:
- Effective problem-solving
- Strong results orientation
- A willingness to seek different perspectives
- Supporting others
While it’s clear that different kinds of businesses and the different situations in which they find themselves may require other kinds of leadership behaviour, it seems that these four behaviours could be regarded as core.
With that in mind, my clients and I work together to strengthen their abilities in each of these areas. If they want to work on effective problem-solving, we identify opportunities for them to take the initiative, to get their voices heard, to ask great questions and share their expertise. Doing this well also feeds into a focus on results – also demonstrated by a commitment to delivering on their objectives and their promises as well as to being accountable and responsible.
We work on how they can include others to bring together a group of diverse people with a wide range of skills and experience, strengthening the ability to build effective collaborative teams with a variety of perspectives. We identify opportunities to champion and develop others as part of their own path to leadership.
Working on these core behaviours means that when the opportunity arises, my clients have the experience to show that they are ready to step into leadership roles.
Today’s pebble for you to ponder: how would you assess yourself against these four key leadership behaviours?
Michelle
Turning over pebbles is the blog of Thinking Space Coaching
If you’re interested in working on your leadership behaviours and making the most of your potential, please do email me and let’s have a conversation about how we can work together.
Turning over pebbles 