Generally  leadership development is focussed on an event, such as a training workshop. However, Effective Leadership development is more of a process which occurs over  time. This means that it requires much more than attending a training workshop. It requires on-going support, follow-up and feedback. In short, it requires on-going contact.

One of the keys to embedding  leadership activity is to measure improvement in the leadership effectiveness of people  managers over time. Any increase in effectiveness can’t be determined by the managers themselves. Rather, it has to be assessed by their direct reports and their co-workers.

Typically, the assessment is completed by way of a web-based feedback tool. For example, my company developed a 180 degree feedback tool that we’ve branded as BravaTrak®. It asks each manager’s direct reports to evaluate them against a series of behaviourally- based leadership statements. It also asks each manager to self-evaluate against the same statements.

We’ve discovered over the years of using BravaTrak® that there are two activities that are central to achieving long term change in leadership activity by  managers. In my view these actions are critical to success irrespective of what 360 degree or 180 degree feedback tool you happen to use.

The first of these activities is Action Planning. The data available from any feedback tool is just that; data. To create change, it has to be used. So it is critical that first-level managers sit down with their immediate manager as soon as the data is available, to agree an Action Plan for the coming months. The Action Plan should not only identify an area of opportunity, and specific steps that will be taken to create improvement. It should also identify a couple of areas of strength and the specific steps that will be taken to sustain that strength.

The second activity central to achieving long term change in leadership activity is for managers to follow-up with their direct reports. Sharing the data without reservation, asking direct reports for suggestions for improvement, and then following up regularly to update people on the actions the manager has taken, all seem to have a very positive effect.

Sharing the data without reservation says to people, “I value the time and effort you made to give me this feedback.” Asking direct reports for suggestions for improvement says, “You know what you want from your leader. I value your ideas which will help me deliver on that for you.” And reporting back regularly says, “I have listened to what you’ve told me and I value it enough to have taken these specific actions.”

These observations suggest that personal contact matters. Firstly, personal contact with one’s own manager to obtain regular support, insight and guidance. Secondly, personal contact with one’s own direct reports whose perception of our leadership effectiveness is determined by how we interact with them. Managers who ask for input, both from their manager and their direct reports, are frequently seen as increasing in leadership effectiveness over time. Managers who don’t aren’t.

The development of leadership capability in managers is an on-going process. Critical to successful long-term change, is regular feedback from direct reports, and personal follow-up contact concerning the use of this feedback, with both a  manager’s own manager, and their direct reports.

Image courtesy of Silvia Cosimini