A New View of Comprehensive Leadership
by Laurie Ribble Libove, MS

Training potential leaders has never been more challenging. Faced with changing customer needs, technological standards, government regulations, and worldwide political climates, today's organizations are demanding more of their key leaders. And they are expanding their notion of who, in fact, should demonstrate leadership.

What's needed today are visionary leaders - individuals throughout the organization who are foresighted enough to imagine the future and nearsighted enough to accurately perceive present realities. This crystal clear line of sight from the here and now to the far and away enables visionary leaders to personally stay the course while guiding others.

The need for visionary leadership is evident. But how can we, as trainers, go about developing visionary leaders?

THE PATH TO A NEW LEADERSHIP MODEL

When the Research and Development team at HRDQ perceived the need for a fresh approach to today's leadership challenges, we reviewed the current literature on visionary leadership - and we were disappointed.

Many leadership models are of the "kitchen sink" variety. They propose lengthy laundry lists of recommended leadership characteristics without organizing the components into a cohesive structure. What we searched for, but couldn't find, was an easy-to-train leadership model that captured the essence of visionary leadership.

And so we asked ourselves the question: "What do you really need to know to be a successful leader today?" Our answers to this question became the genesis of a simple, easily understood model that can be applied to individuals in a broad range of leadership positions. We call it, The Model of Comprehensive Leadership.

FOUR INTERRELATED DIMENSIONS

Our model is simple. At its foundation is the notion of active knowledge. By that we mean knowledge that is in constant development, consistently providing the basis for leadership behavior.

What is entirely clear from the literature is that visionary leaders are aware. They are aware of themselves and who they are, they are aware of those they lead, they are aware of what their organization is about, and they are aware of what is going on in the world. Out of their knowledge springs personal conviction and earned credibility. And that is why they inspire others. People believe in them and follow them because they lead from a deep self-knowledge and a constantly updated knowledge of their organizational world.

The key to visionary leadership, then, rests in expanding knowledge in all four areas: self, others, the organization, and the world - and in acting on that knowledge.

BUILDING KNOWLEDGE AND AWARENESS

A model is only as successful as it is practical. Here are brief descriptions of the benefits of each knowledge dimension, along with ideas for enhancing knowledge in each of them.
 

• Self-knowledge
  Self-knowledge is the ultimate guidance system, helping people to maximize personal performance by focusing on what they do best. Potential visionary leaders can understand themselves better through the solicitation of feedback, taking private time for planning and reflection, and responding honestly to self-assessment tools.
   
• Knowledge of others
  Leaders who build a comprehensive understanding of those they lead are better able to guide and inspire others. This can be accomplished through talking to staff about their career development goals and showing an interest in peoples' lives outside of work.
   
• Knowledge of the organization
  Developing an in-depth understanding of the organization is no easy task, and it takes time. But the payoff includes the formation of strong alliances with peers, vendors, customers, and suppliers. Leaders can study their organization through surveys of key stakeholders, participating on a cross-functional team, or spending time at customer sites.
   
• Knowledge of the world
  Perhaps more than any other dimension, knowledge of the world has the potential to create the most value for an organization. By keeping up with world events and trends through reading, conferences, and networking, visionary leaders can help to detect opportunities for their organization long before their competitors do.
   

The real value of any conceptual model lies in its ability to help individuals objectively evaluate their current state, identify missing competencies, and plan for personal improvement. As a trainer, you can take the first step toward developing visionary leaders with The Comprehensive Leader, a learning instrument that uses the Model of Comprehensive Leadership as its foundation.