Leadership is, more than ever, an indispensable skill for 21st century managers. If done right, it greatly enhances sustainable performance. Luckily for you, it is not a function of mysterious in-born traits. Leadership can be learned. The Global Leader Pyramid® systematically disaggregates leadership into five levels: Self-Leadership, Relationship, Vision, Strategy, and Action. It’s a simple framework for leading your team or organization, your venture or project to success.
Self-Leadership
Ask yourself why. As in, why is this important? “This” could refer to your project or idea, but it can even go deeper. Examine your own assumptions and biases, and make sure you are looking at the evidence instead of emotions. Self-leadership requires emotional intelligence (EQ), so don’t just focus on self-awareness, but look at your ability to self-regulate, especially when it comes to negative emotions.
Relationships
Ask yourself who. Who am I? Who are my allies? Who are we for each other? A big part of leadership is empathy – the ability to see what’s going on with other people. You need to see and understand the perspective of others, especially those you want to lead, and build trust with them.
Vision
Ask yourself what. What are we here for? What do we want to accomplish? Think about how you can inspire others to buy into a shared vision. The ability to focus on or stand in the future is essential for leadership and innovation.
Strategy
Ask yourself how. Now you’ve built the relationships and vision, you need to figure out the plan. How do we get it done? With the end in mind, work backwards: objectives, KPIs, budgets, timelines, milestones, challenges, risks. A SWOT analysis can help you plan at this stage.
Action Ask yourself when. Once you’re clear on the how, it’s time to move to action. It’s important to make sure your action entails promises, requests, offers and invitations with clear deliverables, recipients and deadlines. Be clear about your expectations and accountability. At the same time, listen to others and respond appropriately.
The Global Leader Pyramid® is not only a vehicle for leading yourself or your team to the future. It also serves as a diagnostic tool that helps you troubleshoot team issues. Take a few minutes right now and think of something you really want. Then, use The Global Leader Pyramid® to lead you to success.
Learn more about this topic in LEAD: Mobilizing People to Get Big Things Done.
