Different views exist around how leaders are formed. Some people argue that leadership is inherent – you’re either born a leader, or you’re not. Others believe that with targeted development, most people can learn to be effective leaders.
“For the vast majority of people, leadership is learned,” says Barry Bloch, Global Partner for Board and Executive Leadership. “If you look to the some of the most well-known leaders through history, while they may have shown leadership potential from an early age, their leadership effectiveness was largely learned.”
If leaders are the product of their own learning and development, what is the most effective way to help individuals grow these skills? Here Barry explores this complex question.
Developing better leaders through the FOCUS model
Developed by Barry and his team, in collaboration with leading business school academics, the FOCUS model draws on data from more than 25 major global organisations to provide a practical and evidence-based framework for developing leaders. Each of the five elements represent a key lever to develop leadership skills at all career stages:
- Formal training
- On-the-job learning
- Coaching and mentoring
- Unstructured learning
- Special projects and secondments
“Leadership development is not the same as knowing how to lead, it is about how leaders change or advance their leadership behaviours” says Barry. “Learning to drive a car is a good metaphor, where reading and knowing how to do this is not the same as actually being able to drive a car.”
While most organisations are at least somewhat clear what it takes to lead effectively, developing leaders is all the more challenging. “Through shared data and in my own collective experience, I have found the FOCUS model to be a highly applicable and effective learning framework,” he continues.
Formal training
Formal training is a supervised and structured way of learning, often through organised courses and development programs. This method is typically more effective during the early stages of a career. “The more senior the individual, the less effective programmatic learning is, and the more tailored the learning journey needs to be,” says Barry.
“It is so important to reinforce that acquiring knowledge and changing behaviours are not the same thing. And while there may be value in formal training, FOCUS model data indicates that for senior leaders it accounts for 95% of the cost but less than 5% of behavioural change,” Barry continues. “To realise the benefit of programmatic leadership development, formal training needs to be highly customised and contextual, and leaders will only learn when they are committed to true application of the learning.”
On-the-job learning
On-the-job learning opportunities can be woven into the work activities that leaders undertake and their observation of others. This type of learning has very limited cash cost, yet FOCUS model data indicates that it delivers over 80% of actual leadership behaviour change.
“On the job learning isn’t just encouraging people to go to work and do their job,” says Barry. “As an employer, it’s about designing roles that stretch people and challenge them to move outside their comfort zone. This also happens when we allow leaders to interact with others in ways that help them to learn, grow, reflect and change their leadership behaviour.”
Coaching and mentoring
Coaching and mentoring provides leaders with the opportunity to learn in a unique, individually focused environment, with intensive and immersive support to grow within the context of their organisation and leadership role. According to the FOCUS model data, it delivers approximately 10 per cent of actual leadership behaviour change.
“In this type of relationship, we look for someone that can keep people safe while nudging, challenging and allowing the learner to feel and be ‘learning uncomfortable’,” says Barry. “Coaches and mentors can also bring an external, independent and diverse perspective to the learner, thereby opening the leader’s mind to new ways of leading within their organisation.”
Unstructured learning
Unstructured learning involves staying up to date with themes and issues that relate to our personal and professional life. But on its own, knowing does not lead to doing, which is why the FOCUS model data indicates that activities such as reading books delivers less than 1% of leadership behaviour change.
“The value in unstructured learning does not come from doing it in isolation, but as part of a targeted set of development actions that includes real-world application,” says Barry. “Therefore, unstructured learning is most effective when it is applied through other FOCUS model learning levers. When it happens without application it becomes useful knowledge, unapplied.”
Special projects and secondments
For senior leaders, special projects and secondments are not short assignments, delivered alongside an individual’s normal role. They are opportunities for leaders to do something completely different, within their own organisation or through secondment to another.
“Stretch assignments like these put people outside of their area of expertise to learn,” says Barry. “They allow people to develop a deeper understanding of the business, a particular function or the market in which it operates.”
“Special projects and secondments also help organisations to gauge how individual leaders perform in different contexts and whether they can rise to the challenge and thrive,” Barry continues. “Again, our data shows that secondments are increasingly being used as a leadership development lever, to deliver approximately 5% of leadership behaviour change.”
Applying the FOCUS model in your organisation
Through the FOCUS model, leadership development activities are deliberate and of value to both the individual and the organisation.
Most organisations understand the need for different approaches to develop leadership talent, but to provide the greatest long-term value to the organisation, it’s essential that all development aligns with the organisation’s context, culture and strategy.
“Developing leaders of tomorrow, not today, is key,” says Barry. “Mature organisations define and articulate what is expected of the leaders of the future; give them opportunities to develop those skills and behaviours; and regularly measure their capability and impact. If it’s going to work, leadership development must also be self-driven, intentional, proactive, customised, person-centric and backed by mutual commitment.”
The effectiveness of this model depends on the capacity of an organisation to support the leadership learning journey. It’s also important to note that individual leaders and learners do not need to use all five learning levers – not all will be suitable, and few organisations can offer this scope of learning opportunities.
“Through the FOCUS model leadership development process, employers can help leaders to understand which areas will deliver the most learning and behavioural change impact at a particular point in time,” says Barry. “Individual leaders must also recognise areas where learning and growth is needed and work with their employer to navigate the available support.”
To shape the development of your current and future leaders, connect with Barry or reach out to your local Gerard Daniels team.
