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The process to unlock potential

Systems and contextual approach

Any organisation is a unique system. Its uniqueness is determined by the combination of elements such as its history, its purpose, its culture, its people and its location. Any development initiative, to have sustainable benefits, has to be sensitive to the uniqueness of the organisation. An effective intervention is characterised by two things: It has been implemented as a process rather than an event and it was based on effective dialogue between the interventionist and the client - be it at the individual, team or organisational level. The New Era Leadership process for unlocking latent potential in the organisation is as follows:

Introductory New Era Leadership course

The introductory course is aimed at achieving the following objectives:

  • Clear understanding of leadership in particular as it can be differentiated from management
  • Understanding of the need for leadership development in the context of a changing world
  • Understanding of the link between leadership, personal and organisational development
  • Provision of a leadership assessment and development framework
  • Buy-in to leadership development and leadership coaching as effective methodology

Assessment

Our effectiveness as leaders is severely impeded by our tendency to build walls of protection around us. We send out messages that we don't want criticism. Those around us get used to keeping their opinions to themselves and accept that nothing is going to improve. It has been estimated that only 10% of top leadership accurately assess themselves. Among those who get it wrong twice as many overrate themselves. A 360 degree assessment instrument based on the New Era Leadership framework as well as interviews is used to prepare a feedback report. The framework is

  • Vision and direction (Future and strategic orientation)
  • Modeling character, integrity, courage and personal mastery (Personal growth orientation)
  • Creating an environment for growth, care, inspiration, wisdom and discipline (Team and cultural orientation)

Feedback and individual coaching

Based on the report, individual leadership coaching is used for development. When leadership training is followed through with individual coaching, it is four times more effective than when only the training is done (quoted in the Public Personnel Management Journal).

Some of the advantages are

  • The daily practice of the individual is used as the learning school leadership development can therefore happen more effectively
  • Personal support is given to the process of internalising new learning
  • Flexibility and adaptability according to the needs and experiences of the coachee
  • Continuous learning as opposed to once a year learning
  • Coaching context is not only a place for competency development, but also a touchstone to be human again
  • Holistic approach is possible, bringing simplicity to complexity, integration to segmentation and fragmentation
  • To the extent that coaching sensitizes people to reflect and act in a more purposeful way, it is strategic in nature helping to align the organization with the people who are in it.
  • Coaching gives the opportunity for reflective dialogue that otherwise would have been missed
  • When coaching aligns the development of the individual, the team, and the organization toward a mutual definition of success, then coaching becomes leadership
  • Individual leadership coaching builds leaders' ability to coach their team members

Empowerment and alignment facilitation

Leaders have the empowerment of others at heart. In the context of the organisation they work towards the ideal that every member feel empowered to contribute to the common purpose. It is an ideal that can be achieved when members participate in the creation of mutual agreements about the essential aspects of their endeavours. The agreements answer both what the purpose is as well as how it has to be achieved. Facilitating groups who share in the responsibility of producing an outcome ensures the empowerment of members in the organisation as well as the alignment of purpose, culture and values in the organisation.

Team coaching

High performance teams have high levels of trust and accountability not only for tasks completed but also for leadership behaviour, effective communication and commitment to the growth and development of the team. A one or two day team coaching intervention that builds on the 360 assessment and individual coaching is powerful and effective in the creation of high performance teams.

The development continuum for leadership and organisational development

The process as described has the following pattern of development:

  • Establishing a framework for development
  • Focusing on the individual
  • Intrapersonal (What are the personal factors that inhibit my leadership potential and how can I overcome them?)
  • Interpersonal (What are the limiting factors in my relationships and ability to influence others effectively and how can I overcome them?)
  • Developing team members (How do I develop others as a leader? )
  • Internal organisational alignment and team synergy (Facilitation of groups for alignment and coaching teams for synergy and emotional intelligence)
  • External organisational alignment (Facilitating strategic alignment of the organisation with the environment)