There is a new brand of leadership development that exists today, and it extends well beyond the classic measures of traits and behavior. Modern leadership development programs delve into the motivation of leaders. By looking through a cause-and-effect lens at the choices and actions leaders make, we get to the real heart of the matter: how to develop leadership.
Cause. No two leaders will respond exactly the same to any given situation because no two leaders operate exactly the same. It’s the leader’s framework for thinking and acting that orients them to their own unique interpretation of the situation and furthermore, their behavior.
Effect. How a leader interprets an event extends well beyond the traits one may (or may not) possess and into the domain of the mind where habitual patterns of behavior are formed.
Therefore, the mindset of a leader determines actions and behaviors. This means that the more we understand the way a leader thinks, the more we can develop leadership.
Before we can reveal our mindset, two things must happen. First, we need to identify habitual behavior. Habits are unconscious by nature, and at least 40% of people’s behavior is habit driven. This means we act without thinking about it or being aware of our motivation. It’s no wonder that most leaders are not conscious of their mindset. So, next, we must become consciously aware of habits and develop an awareness for mindset.
Developing A Leadership Mindset
The impact of a leader’s behavior and their effectiveness follows from an understanding and awareness for the underlying mindset. The mind is malleable, so it can be trained. Leaders who become more aware of their mindset and improve it have the greatest chance for sustained, high-level development as opposed to leaders who focus their development purely on traits and behavior.
If organizations want to be more successful in developing leaders now and into the future, then it’s important that a leadership mindset be defined and factored into the equation.
To help leaders establish a leadership mindset, developmental goals must focus on growing self-awareness. Coupled with further goals that cultivate strategies for taming triggers that result in less than ideal behavior and that hone their emotional agility, these goals guide leaders to achieving an appropriate mindset.
Guiding Leadership Into The Future
If you believe that leadership development could serve your organizational or personal development goals, schedule a free consultation today to learn how to develop a leadership mindset and accompanying behavior.