Developing leadership potential in graduate students with assessment, self-awareness, reflection and coaching

2018 ◽  
Vol 37 (8) ◽  
pp. 634-651 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eleanor Lawrence ◽  
Maggie W. Dunn ◽  
Suri Weisfeld-Spolter
Keyword(s):  
Leadership Development ◽  
Development Planning ◽  
Self Awareness ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Leadership Potential ◽  
Orientation Course ◽  
Mba Students ◽  
Business Colleges ◽  
Mba Program ◽  
Intentional Leadership

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to present an innovative, research-based approach for stimulating self-awareness, reflection and intentional leadership development and address a call from the academic and business community to educate and prepare graduate students for leadership in contemporary complex workplaces. Building on previous research findings and recommendations, the authors suggest that leadership potential is understood and facilitated through leadership assessment, increased self-awareness and faculty coach-supported reflection and development planning by MBA students. Based on three key constructs in leadership development, a conceptual model depicts the approach to developing potential leaders at this juncture in their professional development. Design/methodology/approach New MBA students completed a leadership potential assessment instrument designed to target areas for focused leadership development throughout their MBA program and beyond. The assessment process is followed by faculty coach-supported reflection and development planning as an assignment during the students’ MBA orientation course. To explore the impact of this innovative approach to accelerating the development of leadership potential, reflection papers from students who completed the process were analyzed. Data analysis consisted of content coding with an inter-rater reliability of 0.99 to classify the responses into four key categories. Survey data were also collected from 504 MBA students who attended an on-campus orientation course to measure students’ increasing understanding and awareness of the value of the leadership development opportunity. Findings Quantitative and qualitative results provide initial support for this approach to developing leadership potential. Results suggest that the integrative model stimulates a process of awareness, reflection and intentional development, and supports the identification and pursuit of goal-directed learning opportunities throughout students’ MBA program. Originality/value Graduate business school students are at a leadership inflection point in their trajectory as leaders. Business colleges play a key role in closing the leadership gap during the development cycle of the students’ MBA program. The innovative approach in this paper, which facilitates self-awareness, reflection and intentional leadership development, offers a model for business colleges exploring how to foster these necessary leadership insights and capabilities.

Identifying high potentials early: case study

2018 ◽  
Vol 37 (9/10) ◽  
pp. 684-696 ◽  
Author(s):  
Igor Kotlyar
Keyword(s):  
Leadership Development ◽  
University Students ◽  
Early Stage ◽  
Development Program ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Leadership Potential ◽  
High Potentials ◽  
Early Case ◽  
Leadership Development Program

Purpose Driven by a shortage of leadership capacity, companies are seeking to identify leadership talent earlier. Some companies are introducing programs to identify leadership potential among university students and then hire “high potentials” directly into management designate roles. The purpose of this paper is to explore one such early-stage leadership development program. Currently, little information is available about these initiatives. Design/methodology/approach Case study based on interviews with 18 managers and director of HR and archival employee records. Findings This case study provides a detailed description of an early-stage leadership identification and development program. This program has been developed to identify leadership talent among senior university students prior to hiring and onboarding, provide support, training and development and fast-track them into leadership positions. The study provides insight into the challenges and effectiveness of an early-stage leadership program and offers some practical implications. Originality/value To the author’s knowledge, this is the first study to document a leadership development program that identifies “high potentials” among university students for the purpose of developing them into company leaders.

A small initiative in the journey of making leaders with the help of authentic leadership model

Kybernetes ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 47 (10) ◽  
pp. 1956-1972 ◽  
Author(s):  
Archana Shrivastava
Keyword(s):  
Leadership Development ◽  
Process Model ◽  
Authentic Leadership ◽  
Research Study ◽  
Self Regulation ◽  
Main Stream ◽  
Self Awareness ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Effective Manner ◽  
Mind Maps

Purpose This research study uses authentic leadership (AL) model for leadership development. The purpose of this paper is to focus on the developmental perspective where the attention is on the processes. As the authenticity involves both owing one’s personal experiences and acting in accordance with one’s true self, the emphasis is on self-awareness and self-regulation. The influence of the person’s personal history and trigger events are considered as significant antecedents for generating AL. As the research was facilitated by the participation and collaboration of the number of individuals with the researcher for common purpose, i.e. developing AL, action research methodology is adopted. Design/methodology/approach The methodology used was based on the self-assessment exercises in the controlled environment. The programme used intensive counselling sessions, Neuro Linguistics programming (NLP), career autobiographies, mind maps, workshops and storytelling sessions as tools. Certified counsellors and trainers were out-sourced for conducting such sessions. With the information generated through various sources, detailed career autobiographies of students’ self-image were generated. These reports were then critically analysed on “Nvivo”, a software that supports qualitative and mixed research methods. Comprehensive data analysis was done to pull the information together and make sense of it. The development process model of AL began with how individuals interpret their accumulated life experiences with the “Who I am?” approach. NLP was used as a research instrument which involved question-based discussions, value elicitation exercise and “Anchoring and Mentor table”. The results that came after the exercises were reported by the students in a one-page autobiography. Findings The students learnt to live by their inner compass. They were finally able to relate themselves and their identity with their beliefs, thereby, understanding the term, “Who Am I”; the intentions closely related with the components of AL. Students realized that each one of them was unique. What lied beneath were exposed and the students were more at ease once they realized that they were able to balance these emotions and use them towards behaving congruently. The research concluded that doing such kind of exercises along with the main stream subjects is definitely going to help students emerge as a better person, employee and an authentic leader in the future. Practical implications The approach helped students become self-aware and self-confident and therefore enhanced their capacity to adapt positively to social set ups personally and professionally. The results suggest that such leadership development programmes along with the main stream subjects can foster AL giving students new abilities and embodied skills to deal with the practical challenges of life in a more effective manner. Originality/value This research study supports new emerging strategy of educating managers to become effective leaders and demonstrate that the development of AL can be fostered by such interventions during their journey of becoming leaders. Further, researches on whether AL can be developed through planned interventions can be certified through longitudinal studies in this area.

MBA program enrolment as a catalyst for boundaryless career goals (part one)

2014 ◽  
Vol 46 (3) ◽  
pp. 135-142 ◽  
Author(s):  
Naser Muja ◽  
Steven H. Appelbaum
Keyword(s):  
Transformational Change ◽  
Career Goals ◽  
Self Awareness ◽  
Full Time ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Mba Program ◽  
Goal Revision ◽  
Program Entry ◽  
Self Discovery ◽  
Cognitive Decision

Purpose – Further investigation of the thoughts and attitudes contributing to the voluntary pursuit of an MBA degree and career change is necessary to better understand career motivations and to satisfy career goals. This two-part article attempts to achieve this objective. Design/methodology/approach – Factors contributing to the cognitive decision to enrol in an MBA program and the subsequent impact of self-discovery gained on program entry on career strategy were explored using a 32-question survey based on empirical research findings. Findings – Part-time and full-time MBA students exhibited differences in decision criteria applied for MBA program entry. Following program enrolment, opportunities for career growth led to upward goal revision and increasingly focused goals. Research limitations/implications – Participation was potentially limited by survey distribution during a demanding academic period where many project reports and group presentations were due. A single MBA program in the downtown Montreal area may not be representative of all programs in the population. Practical implications – Anchoring individual career identity and social identity has become increasingly complex as employers in many industries undergo continuous transformational change. Social implications – Integration within the work environment of identified career roles requires additional attention to validate an individual's strategic career efforts. Originality/value – Surveying MBA candidates about career decisions and goal-revision allows for a valuable “snapshot” of career evolution over time. By promoting increased self-awareness, applied knowledge gained through MBA program activities acts as a catalyst for self-efficacy beliefs which results in upward distal goal-revision or increased goal focus.

Leader, “know yourself”: bringing back self-awareness, trust and feedback with a theory O perspective

2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ngaio Crook ◽  
Ozan Nadir Alakavuklar ◽  
Ralph Bathurst
Keyword(s):  
Leadership Development ◽  
Organizational Context ◽  
Small Sample ◽  
Theory And Practice ◽  
Self Awareness ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Theory U ◽  
Conceptual Tool ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Experience Of Change

PurposeThis paper explores how leaders identify their roles and selves when they lead change in a dynamic organizational context.Design/methodology/approachUsing a qualitative approach, ten ICT leaders participated in semi-structured interviews depicting their experiences of change. A thematic method of interpretative analysis was used to develop findings, supported by Theory U as a conceptual tool for leadership self-awareness.FindingsLeaders struggle with organizational constraints and boundaries, specifically the complexities that form and limit their leadership underpinned by unrealistic expectations due to the construction of romanticized heroic leadership. While these restrictions lead to feelings of detachment of leaders from their organizations, leadership development exists in the acts of letting go of old behaviors, and welcoming emergence and experimentation by trusting more.Research limitations/implicationsThis study may be limited by its small sample and the use of one framework to make sense of the leaders' experience of change. It confirms that change can challenge organizing norms and how leadership is identified.Practical implicationsDespite the feeling of detachment from their organizations, developing greater self-awareness, being open to new ideas and trusting more can bring about better organizational outcomes, which is represented with Theory O as a contribution both for theory and practice.Originality/valueThis study illustrates (1) leaders' inner work or personal experience of change, and (2) how improvement of self-awareness can contribute to the involvement of leaders to the change process. Based on self-awareness, trust and feedback relationship, this study suggests a new practical and conceptual tool called Theory O by advancing Theory U.

Effective leadership today – character not just competence

2016 ◽  
Vol 44 (1) ◽  
pp. 20-29 ◽  
Author(s):  
Brian Leavy
Keyword(s):  
Leadership Development ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Development Process ◽  
Business Success ◽  
Self Awareness ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Key Skills ◽  
Self Development ◽  
New Directions ◽  
Primary Focus

Purpose – Three recent publications by noted authors offer valuable insights into the new directions that leadership development thinking and practice now need to take, with all of three books placing particular emphasis on the importance of character, identity and values, not just competence. Design/methodology/approach – Organizational psychologist Fred Kiel’s book, Return On Character sets out to show that the strength of a leader’s character is an important driver of business success and to examine the implications for leadership development. Discover Your True North by Harvard professor and former CEO of Medtronic Bill George examines why the self-development process of discovering one’s core values and passion (authenticity) to lead is essential to becoming an engaging and empowering leader. The theme of leadership as a life-long developmental challenge is Robert Kaplan’s primary focus in What You Really Need to Lead. Findings – Kiel’s data revealed a clear relationship between the strength of a leader’s character and demonstrated mastery of these key skills, with virtuosos “consistently” outperforming their more self-focused peers. Originality/value – One of the reasons that character matters is that leaders who more consciously and persistently search for greater self-awareness over the course of their careers tend to become ever more capable of questioning “not only the ideas of others” but even their “own most cherished beliefs,” and as a result, their understanding of their life, their business, their marketplace, and the global forces that shape them “enters a state of continual growth and development.”

Crafting continuing learning and development: a positive design tool for leadership development

2014 ◽  
Vol 28 (4) ◽  
pp. 5-8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bart Tkaczyk
Keyword(s):  
Leadership Development ◽  
Design Thinking ◽  
Design Tool ◽  
Organizational Studies ◽  
Self Awareness ◽  
Executive Development ◽  
Global Learning ◽  
Learning And Development ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Learning Agility

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to consider leaders as continuing learning and development (L&D) crafters. Design/methodology/approach – To maximize leaders’ “self-awareness” and “learning agility”, this article addresses itself to positive, purposeful and planned self-development by means of continuing L&D crafting. Findings – Executing leader’s structured and personalized developmental portfolios produce both personal and organizational gains, as reported by participants in the global “Learning Entrepreneurs” research project. Practical implications – The article offers a “designy” tool that executives can use in the workplace and outside. Social implications – Apart from the fact that it seems highly practical to employ L&D crafting as a business leadership development method, one can extrapolate this idea, and recommend this technique to leaders outside of business. This may transform institutions at large into learning organizations. Originality/value – Rooted in design thinking and positive organizational studies, the article advances a “continuing developmental portfolio” made up of two components: a continuing executive development “Check-in” and “Design”. These together are a mechanism for natural and disciplined learning from opportunistic incidents.

Taking the outsider route to learning

2016 ◽  
Vol 30 (2) ◽  
pp. 28-30
Author(s):  
Graham Cole
Keyword(s):  
Leadership Development ◽  
Experiential Learning ◽  
Case Studies ◽  
Team Building ◽  
Action Learning ◽  
Organizational Success ◽  
Self Awareness ◽  
Transfer Of Knowledge ◽  
Key Factors ◽  
Content Type

Findings When it comes to identifying key factors to organizational success, leadership is invariably uppermost in many minds. It is thus hardly surprising that firms afford leadership development as the top priority. Expert in the field Morgan McCall perfectly articulated its importance when commenting on the imprudence of leaving leadership development to chance. Leadership development comes in an array of shapes and sizes. Mentoring, action learning, case studies, job assignments and experiential learning are just some of the methodologies commonly utilized. Transfer of knowledge, team building, raising self-awareness and increasing the ability to interact with others are core objectives typically pursued.

How to become an inspirational leader, and what to avoid

2017 ◽  
Vol 36 (5) ◽  
pp. 614-625 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sarah Bonau
Keyword(s):  
Leadership Development ◽  
Leadership Style ◽  
Critical Role ◽  
Shared Vision ◽  
Practical Implementation ◽  
Self Awareness ◽  
Research Attention ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Management Actions ◽  
The Right

Purpose The leadership style of inspirational leadership has not gained substantial research attention. Studies have found inspirational leadership to be particularly relevant for practitioners. The purpose of this paper is to analyse the theoretical aspects of inspirational leadership and present practical steps for applying the theory. Design/methodology/approach First, inspirational leadership is defined in the context of other leadership theories, with particular emphasis on the vision that is central to inspirational leadership. Consequently, effective leadership behaviour is contrasted against management actions, to then define main areas leaders should focus on. Moreover, this paper outlines specific actions to be implemented in these focus areas. Findings Comparing the different perspectives on inspirational leadership theory, it becomes evident that self-awareness and authenticity are the main foundations for inspiring followers and implementing a shared vision. Practical implications A tool is presented for practical implementation that allows leaders to measure different characteristics of inspirational leadership and to assess their progress in these areas. In this context, this paper discusses the critical role of authentic behaviour and the challenge of showing the right level of authenticity as a leader. Special attention is given to authentic leadership development, and how organisations must work to avoid over-dependency on inspirational leaders. Originality/value The ideas outlined in this paper serve as a guide for leaders to practise inspirational leadership.

Developing a supportive learning environment in a newly formed organisation

2015 ◽  
Vol 27 (6) ◽  
pp. 442-456 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sue Lancaster ◽  
Lee Di Milia
Keyword(s):  
Leadership Development ◽  
Learning Environment ◽  
Qualitative Methodology ◽  
Self Awareness ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Open Communication ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Rich Data ◽  
Qualitative Phenomenological ◽  
Supportive Learning Environment

Purpose – The aim of this study was to examine the factors that employees perceived were important in creating a supportive learning environment in a recently merged organisation. The study provides rich qualitative data from the employees’ perspective. Design/methodology/approach – This case study used a qualitative phenomenological constructivist approach. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews and analysed with the aid of NVivo. The study was conducted in a large government-owned organisation in Australia and the sample consisted of 24 recent graduates of leadership development programs. Findings – The results suggested that together with the organisation’s leadership, there are several distinguishing characteristics of a learning environment. These include learning with colleagues, openness to new ideas and change, building relationships, open communication, sharing the learning, coaching and reflection. Providing support for managers to gain confidence and self-awareness was important to their ability to apply their learning. The results also suggest that learning with colleagues from different regional and functional areas helps to reform subcultures and contributes to an overarching learning culture and hence to creating a supportive learning environment. Some hindrances were also discovered. Originality/value – This study gives voice to employee perceptions of the important factors required to create a supportive learning environment. The authors used a qualitative methodology in a field dominated by quantitative studies to provide rich data that extends the extant literature.

Authentic leadership: development of a new three pillar model

2015 ◽  
Vol 14 (3) ◽  
pp. 94-99 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fiona Beddoes-Jones ◽  
Stephen Swailes
Keyword(s):  
Leadership Development ◽  
Authentic Leadership ◽  
Self Regulation ◽  
Business Leaders ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Ethical Behaviour ◽  
Self Awareness ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Development Interventions ◽  
The Uk

Purpose This paper aims to summarise a new model of authentic leadership derived from research with senior leaders in the UK. Design/methodology/approach The model was developed and tested using three independent samples: 140 business leaders, 54 senior military officers with 390 independent raters and 303 business leaders. Findings A 15-item, self-report, three-component measure of authentic leadership was obtained from testing across samples. The three components measure an individual’s capacity for self-awareness, self-regulation and ethical behaviour. Originality/value The paper contributes to the authentic leadership literature through the creation of a short authentic leadership scale that could be used in leadership research and which simplifies and unifies previous conceptualisations of authentic leadership. The three-pillar model offers guidance to HR practitioners looking to design leadership development interventions.

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