Leadership Assessment and Enhancement

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In over two decades of leadership development we have never seen anything as effective and efficient as the LEA 360™ for identifying a leader's next key development steps. Over a million leaders in ten language groups have benefited from this well researched and highly validated leadership enhancement process.

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At the core of this process are twenty two leadership practices identified, tested and validated over more than three decades and across cultures from around the world (i.e., North America, South America, Asia-Pacific, Europe, Middle East and Africa).

  • The twenty two practices each fall under one of the six central aspects needed for leadership effectiveness, namely,
    1. creating a vision,
    2. developing followership,
    3. implementing the vision,
    4. follow through,
    5. achieving results and
    6. team playing.
  • The Strategic Leadership Development™ process is an ever upward cycle of leadership effectiveness enhancement designed to allow entry at any point in the development sequence. It provides optimum flexibility by allowing the organization to begin where the opportunities and/or needs are greatest and then proceeding at a suitable pace. For example, one could test it with a couple of executives for their own development as well as determining further uses for the suite of tools.
  • The uniqueness of the Leadership Effectiveness Assessment (LEA) Model is (1) unparalleled reliability and accuracy - all assessment tools utilize a unique "semi-ipsative, forced choice" questionnaire design that makes it extremely difficult to skew results; (2) behaviorally-focused development - the LEA model measures 22 individual, discreet, and independent variables which allows for the individual uniqueness of each leader to be revealed; (3) descriptive, not prescriptive - the LEA Model does not profess that there is one best way to lead. An organization's culture, the leader's level and function, and a person's individual personality influence a leader's approach.
  • The LEA assessment tool set allows an organization to (1) identify and prioritize which of the 22 leadership practices need to be emphasized going forward given the future vision - Strategic Directions™; (2) identify which leadership practices are most prevalent in the current culture—Leadership Culture™; (3) what nuances in leadership practice are expected in a given role—Role Expectations™, (4) the degree to which each of these 22 leadership practices characterize any individual leader—Leadership 360™ and, finally, (5) which of the 22 leadership practices are most prevalent in any given group—Composite Profile Analysis`.
  • There are other tools available for other purposes including one that measures what motivates any given individual which allows the individual to more closely choose and tailor make their work to align as fully as possible with their natural motivations - Individual Directions Inventory™.

Leadership Phases and Practices

Did you know? There are 22 practices and the six phases of leadership.

Creating A Vision

  • Conservative: Studying problems in light of past practices to ensure predictability, reinforce the status quo, and minimize risk.
  • Innovative: Feeling comfortable in fast-changing environments, being willing to take risks and to consider new and untested approaches.
  • Technical: Studying problems from an in-depth perspective; showing pride in taking on a professional role as a high-powered problem-solver.
  • Self: Emphasizing the importance of making decisions independently, looking to your self as the prime vehicle for decision-making.
  • Strategic: Analyzing the future impact of decisions by taking a long-range and big-picture approach to problem-solving.

Developing Followership

  • Persuasive: Getting things done by convincing others and winning them over to our point of view.
  • Outgoing: Emphasizing the importance of being extroverted, friendly, and informal; showing a capacity to quickly establish free and easy interpersonal relationships.
  • Excitement: Operating with a good deal of energy, overt intensity, and a capacity to keep others enthusiastic and involved.
  • Restraint: Maintaining a low-key, understated, and quiet interpersonal demeanor by working to control your emotional expressions.

Implementing The Vision

  • Structuring: Adopting a systematic and organized approach; preferring a predictable atmosphere in which policies and procedures are used to ensure that things happen as planned.
  • Tactical: Emphasizing the production of immediate results by focusing on short-range, hands-on, practical strategies.
  • Communication: Stating clearly what you want and expect from others; maintaining a precise and constant flow of information.
  • Delegation: Enlisting the talents of others to help meet objectives by giving them important activities and sufficient autonomy to exercise their own judgment.

Following Through

  • Control: Adopting an approach in which you take nothing for granted, set deadlines for certain actions, closely monitor the progress of activities, and intervene quickly when these are not proceeding according to schedule.
  • Feedback: Letting others know in a straightforward manner how well they have performed and if they have met your needs and expectations.

Achieving Results

  • Management Focus: Gaining satisfaction from leading and organizing the efforts of others, being in charge, and controlling others’ performance.
  • Dominant: Attempting to take control of your environment through the overt use of power, authority, control, and competition.
  • Production: Adopting a strong bottom-line orientation, possessing high expectations for yourself and others, and pushing yourself and others to achieve at high levels.

Team Playing

  • Cooperation: Accommodating to the needs and interests of others by being willing to defer performance on your own objectives in order to assist colleagues with theirs.
  • Consensual: Collecting input and opinions from peers and other employees as part of your decision- making process.
  • Authority: Respecting the opinions and expertise of people in authority, and using them as resources for information, direction, and decisions.
  • Empathy: Demonstrating an active concern for people and their needs by forming close and supportive relationships with others.

Optimum Flexibility

The Strategic Leadership Development™ process is an ever upward cycle of leadership effectiveness enhancement designed to allow entry at any point in the development sequence. It provides optimum flexibility by allowing the organization to begin where the opportunities and/or needs are greatest and then proceeding at a suitable pace.

Uniqueness of the Leadership Effectiveness Assessment (LEA) Model

Unparalleled Reliability and Accuracy: All assessment tools utilize a unique "semi-ipsative, forced choice" questionnaire design that makes it extremely difficult to skew results. All questionnaires are subjected to significant statistical analysis to ensure that what they claim to measure is in fact what is measured.

Behaviorally-Focused Development Tools: The LEA model measures 22 individual, discreet, and independent variables. This allows for the individual uniqueness of each leader to be revealed.

Not One-Size-Fits-All; Descriptive, Not Prescriptive: The LEA Model does not profess that there is one best way to lead. An organization's culture, the leader's level and function, and a person's individual personality influence a leader's approach.

Background Assumptions and Perspectives

The job of the leader is to make things happen.

There is no one right way to lead.

Effectiveness must be viewed through four filters...Organization, Role, Situation and Individual

Leadership behavior can be measured and changed.

The LEA Model is descriptive not prescriptive.

Each of the Strategic Leadership Development™ components is based on the 22 LEA Leadership Practices.

Leadership Development Cycle Components/Tools

FUTURE—ORGANIZATION-WIDE; Strategic Directions™ Assesses which of the 22 LEA Leadership Practices are most needed organization-wide to realize our vision and goals. Once the overall strategic plan (i.e., mission, vision, values, guiding principles, strategy areas and tactical action plans for each strategy area) is agreed upon, it is important to astutely assess the degree to which each of the 22 leadership practices may be required to realize the vision. This assessment...

  • Identifies the leadership practices required to achieve this organization's vision and objectives.
  • — Establishes a common language and clear expectations for leadership development.
  • — Helps guide the establishment of objective performance measurements for enhanced accountability.
  • Helps establish criteria for training and development initiatives

CURRENT—ORGANIZATION-WIDE; Leadership Culture™ Assesses which of the 22 LEA Leadership Practices are most practiced now. It is often helpful to clearly understand where we are now to design the path to where we want to be.

  • Measures the existing leadership culture in the organization.
  • Reflects what is being rewarded and how things are actually accomplished in the organization.
  • Helps management determine whether prevailing practices are enhancing or detracting from the achievement of organizational goals.

POSITION REQUIREMENTS—INDIVIDUAL; Role Expectations™ Assesses which of the 22 LEA Leadership Practices are most required by a particular role. At times it is important to focus on a particular role to clearly understand what is needed for success.

  • Identifies leadership practices required to be effective in a specific organizational role.
  • Establishes common and clear understanding of role requirements, priorities and expectations.
  • Sets objective performance measurements and drives accountability.
  • Establishes assessment criteria for training and development initiatives.

CURRENT—INDIVIDUAL; Leadership 360™ Assesses which of the 22 LEA Leadership Practices are most currently practiced by an individual leader. In order to optimize an individual's leadership effectiveness is helpful to clearly understand where that leader is now to design the path to where that individual wishes to be.

  • Provides individual leaders with objective, persuasive insights into their leadership practices.
  • Helps leaders understand how their behavior helps or hinders their effectiveness.
  • Allows leaders to compare their current leadership approach with future needs of the organization.
  • Creates clear, non-threatening process for development planning and coaching.

COLLECTIVE—ORGANIZATION-WIDE; Composite Profile Analysis™ Assesses which of the 22 LEA Leadership Practices are most prevalent within a particular group.

  • Presents aggregated data for a particular group of people and/or their observers
  • Can be used for:
    • Team Building - useful in analyzing the prevailing leadership practices of a specific team.
    • Training Needs Analysis - results can be used to determine specific training needs of the group.
    • A Research Tool - can be used to profile differences and similarities of specific groups (administration and finance vs. operations and field).

PERSONAL MOTIVATION; Individual Directions Inventory™ This inventory measures 17 key dimensions reflecting the degree to which an individual gains emotional satisfaction from work and life. Used independently, IDI is a valuable coaching tool. Used in combination with leadership assessments, this product expands personal insight to include role-specific behavior and the motivation behind that behavior. Individual Directions Inventory can be used to:

  • Help people understand their own motivations and how their motivations relate to their work and performance.
  • Inspire leaders and managers to use motivation to support business initiatives and empower the individuals on their teams.
  • Build stronger teams through a deeper understanding of the motivations that inspire their members.
  • Offer managers and employees a valuable coaching tool.

Bottom Line Strategic Leadership Development™ provides organizations with the tangible evidence that there is a connection between leadership practices and organizational performance.

SLD provides information at the organizational level as well as the individual level - a critical factor in maximizing the organization's investment in leadership development and moving the organization toward optimum success.

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Who else uses these leadership tools?

The following is a representative list:

Deloitte & Touche Motorola Semiconductor
Ernst & Young NASA; Intel
National Semiconductor Mazda
McDonalds Compaq Computer
Microsoft Pfizer Pharmaceuticals
AT&T L.L. Bean
Federal Reserve Bank Credit Suisse
ADP Bass Hotels and Resorts
Unum Insurance Cisco (tech)
Wharton Business School The Walt Disney Company
Madison Square Garden Coca-cola

Supplemental Information

Origins

  • The origins of the LEA Strategic Leadership Directions™ process was an instrument called the Management Effectiveness Assessment. It was originally developed in 1966 from extensive observations of management practices of successful individuals in hierarchical setting. However over the next two decades executive effectiveness shifted from management to leadership (i.e., from hierarchical-based authority management to servant-based influence leadership and from position-based chain-of-command control and fiefdoms to relationship-based down-line influence and cross functional teamwork. The high control style, whether manifested in a style of overt power authority or via "gamesmanship" maneuvering, became a resisted dinosaur except for an occasional temporary tolerance for it in short term "turnaround" crisis situations.
  • This increased requirement for wholesome cross-functional and down line relationship building occasioned a shift to observing, validating and measuring Leadership (versus Management) Effectiveness and hence the creation of the Leadership Effectiveness Assessment suite of tools known as the LEA Strategic Leadership Directions™ process.
  • Over a period of years hundreds of assessments, reams of data, and an array of statistical analyses were poured over to finally distill down to the 22 key leadership practice sets measured by the LEA Strategic Leadership Directions™ tools (e.g., some of the first set of behaviors were discovered to not make sense so they were dropped and others were too close to each other in what they were measuring so they were combined into one).

Some other Benefits

  • Unique, highly objective and accurate scoring system—Impressive validity and reliability scores and the sophisticated scoring system significantly reduces bias.
  • Conceptual precision of assessment measures. Practical and well-researched measures.
  • Well researched, scientifically validated assessment backed by decades of research and refinement.
  • Practical, recognizable outputs delivered in down-to-earth language – "the test of any questionnaire is the practical utility it delivers".
  • LEA tends less towards exhaustive presentation of data - leaves ample room for conceptualization in feedback conversations. LAE offers a wealth of guidance for development planning.
  • LEA measures at the behavioral level and emphasizes practices or "sets". This involves a much broader and deeper than considerations limited to skills and styles. “Set” encompasses not only skills and styles but also the motivational and cognitive components of the leadership role.
  • LEA is designed to measure how the person operates in a variety of role relationships and not just with direct reports and superiors but, as importantly, with peers. It taps how a person operates in a team-oriented, cross-functional and collegial frame of mind. It emphasizes how a person operates in the more fluid, relational aspects of his/her role.
  • With increasing movement over the last few decades toward less rigidly defined hierarchical leadership roles, LEA shows itself to good advantage in assessing effectiveness and providing developmental feedback for the demands of the contemporary workplace and workforce.
  • LEA is reality based in the sense that its view of the human is not overly pessimistic (i.e., most humans are prone to being immature, self-serving and unmotivated) nor is it overly optimistic (i.e., all humans are prone to being mature, other-centered and self-motivated). The LEA recognizes the humans respond in a multiple of ways depending on a variety of factors (e.g., the environment in which they operate; the kind of human being they are in the first place; whether they are anxious or confident; etc.).
  • LEA recognizes the role of the emotions triggered by leadership behavior. The emotions triggered may be either negative or positive with far ranging impact. For example, a leader may build a strong underlying feeling of solidarity, confidence, trust and commitment in a work group. However, he or she may just as easily (if unwittingly) build anxiety, fear, resentment and contempt for himself or herself and/or the organization.

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