Leadership Agility Bruce M. Anderson Thinking Partners, Inc. Agile Leadership Network March 17, 2016

Agile Leadership Network is dedicated to the evolution of leaders at all levels striving to transform teams, organizations and enterprises by applying agile leadership principles and values.

Accelerating Change Political Technological Disruption Environmental Cultural Economic Globalization Natural Resources Generational Values Systems Markets

INTERCONNECTEDNESS

6 Leadership Agility

 Vertical – Growing into a new stage of personal development  Horizontal – learning new competencies consistent with one’s current or next stage of personal development  Almost all 360s focus on horizontal development only

Adult Development We continue to develop after childhood. These adult stages of development involve an increasing awareness and consciousness that at some level is hidden from us. It just evolves. At a particular stage of development, we don’t see the next stage. We are stuck in our world view and the way things should be. We only get to “see” the previous stage until we have gone to a “higher” stage.

9 Copyright© 2010 Changewise Inc.

Expert Achiever Catalyst Co-Creator Synergist 55% >1% 35% >10% >1% Leadership Agility Levels Heroic Post Heroic Accelerating Change and Growing Complexity and Interdependence Copyright© 2010 Changewise Inc.

Expert AchieverCatalyst Leadership Agility Levels A group rather than a team Team for buy-in Team for ideas/ strategy Advocating or Inquiring Advocating or Inquiring Some Balance Advocating or Inquiring Balanced Managing Change Team Performance Pivotal Conversations Improve Internal Operations Improve Internal and External Radically Improve Internal and External Organizational Culture Leadership Arenas

Expert Level Team Development-Getting others to do things primarily one-on-one. Meetings used for getting info and leader makes decisions. Hub and spoke meetings. Managing Change-Organizational initiatives focus primarily on incremental improvements inside unit boundaries with little attention to stakeholders. Pivotal Conversations- Either strongly assertive or very accommodative in dealing with differences. may flip from assertive to accommodative and the reverse. Tendency to avoid giving or requesting feedback.

Achiever Level Team Development-Meetings for important strategic and organization issues. Leader focus on getting buy-in to what they want to do. Managing Change-Organizational initiatives include analysis of industry environment. Strategies to gain stakeholder buy-in ranging from one way communications to soliciting input. Pivotal Conversations- Primarily assertive or accommodative with some ability to compensate with the less preferred style. Will accept or even initiate feedback, if seen as helpful in achieving desired outcomes.

Catalyst Level Team Development-Facilitator seeking open exchange of ideas on difficult issues. Team takes responsibility for the success of entire organization. Managing Change-Organizational initiatives often include developing a culture that promotes teamwork, participation, and empowerment. Proactive engagement of diverse stakeholders reflects a belief that their input increases the quality of decisions, not just buy-in. Pivotal Conversations- Skilled in balancing assertive and accommodative styles as needed in specific situations. Genuinely interested in learning from diverse viewpoints. proactively seeks and utilizes feedback.

Expert Characteristics Leadership approach is tactical problem solving, leading from authority and expertise. Responsible for everything that happens. Knows what is the “right” thing to do and advocates for it. Incremental improvement, inside unit boundaries. Leads by supervising individuals that manage the group. Hub and spoke approach to meetings. Does not give or receive feedback. 15

Achiever Characteristics Strategic outcome oriented. Challenge and motivate others to achieve objectives. Not only about authority and expertise but buy-in to their ideas. Greater reflection capacity over longer timeframe. More team focused…getting buy-in to their views. Will get and give feedback if useful to achieving important outcomes. There have some balance between advocating and inquiring however they default to one or the other, particularly under stress. 16

Catalyst Characteristics Visionary, facilitative and inclusive orientation; brings the right people together to transform vision into realty. Focusing on developing a culture of teamwork, participation, driving decisions-making down into the organization. Promotes open exchange of ideas on difficult issues. A post heroic style. They don’t over-control or under-utilize people. Very proactive in seeking and utilizing feedback. Asserts views and has a deep curiosity regarding others views. 17

18 Leadership Practices Context Setting: Scoping initiatives Setting direction Stakeholder Agility: Understanding stakeholders Resolving differences Creative Agility: Understanding problems Creating solutions Self Leadership Agility: Seeking feedback Learning new skills There is a behavioral dynamics associated with each level of leadership agility

Stakeholders Shop employees Union officials Office and sales employees The executive staff Managers Vendors Suppliers Bankers 19 Accountant firms Law firms Board of Directors Media

Stakeholder Agility Expert—May listen to others concerns but relies on their own judgment and agenda. Achiever—Asks for and considers others views while clearly advocating their own. Catalyst—Actively seeks out others’ views to candidly resolve differences. 20

21 Leadership Agility 360 Assessment Rating by direct reports, stakeholders, and boss(s) Determines level of agility as a basis for leadership development planning.

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24 Discussion?

Improving Team Performance Expert—Getting others to do things primarily one- on-one. Meetings used for getting info and the leader makes decisions. Achiever—Meetings for important strategic and organization issues. Leader focus on getting buy-in to do what they want. Catalyst—Facilitator seeking open exchange of ideas on difficult issues. Team takes responsibility for the success of entire organization. 25

Managing Change Expert— Organizational initiatives focus primarily on incremental improvements inside unit boundaries with little attention to stakeholders. Achiever— Organizational initiatives include analysis of industry environment. Strategies to gain stakeholder buy-in ranging from one way communications to soliciting input. Catalyst— Organizational initiatives often include developing a culture that promotes teamwork, participation, and empowerment. Proactive engagement of diverse stakeholders reflects a belief that their input increases the quality of decisions, not just buy-in. 26

Pivotal Conversations Expert-Either strongly assertive or very accommodative in dealing with differences. may flip from assertive to accommodative and the reverse. Tendency to avoid giving or requesting feedback Achiever-Will have balance between advocating and inquiring but will default to one. Catalyst-Advocates views while genuinely seeking other opinions. 27