Leadership Agility (Joiner & Josephs, 2008)

1. Leadership Agility(Joiner & Josephs, 2008) A life stage approach to Leadership Development John M. Poirier, Ed.D. Poirier & Associates, Inc. jpoirier@poirierassociates.com

2. Learning objectives • To explore various stages that leaders typically pass through • To identify the “agilities”, capacities and practices associated with each of these stages • To use these “agilities” to provide development support to those we coach by formulating a learning agenda Poirier & Associates, Inc.

3. Agenda • An examination of leaders • A brief introductory context • A case study “in three acts” • An introduction to Leadership Agility • A brief self assessment of LA • Helping others learn leadership Poirier & Associates, Inc.

4. My observations of leaders Poirier & Associates, Inc.

5. Developing leadership • The problem with a traits approach? • The problem with a behavioral approach? • The problem with a competency approach? Poirier & Associates, Inc.

6. Learning leadership • “What got you here won’t help you get there” (Goldsmith) • “Peter Principle” (Drucker) • Super-doer to Supervisor paradigm Poirier & Associates, Inc.

7. The changing nature of leadership (Center for creative leadership, 2007) • Technical Challenges – 53% • A process challenge; requires a redistribution of resources; a well defined plan of action • Adaptive Challenges – 37% • A systemic challenge; requires new types of resources vs. redistribution; novel solutions • Critical Challenges – 10% • A dramatic change in direction/strategy; requires immediate and significant systemic change Poirier & Associates, Inc.

8. The impact will require • Working across functions – 52% • Working more collaboratively – 50% • Improving work processes – 47% • Creating novel solutions – 45% • Increasing the speed of response – 45% • Making more effective decisions – 41% • Enhancing co-worker relationships – 38% Poirier & Associates, Inc.

9. Leadership The definition of leadership has changed in the last five years – 84% Leadership challenges exceed individual capabilities – 60% Interdependence will become the foundation of effectiveness – 58% Change Change efforts are sustainable – 58% Change efforts must focus on culture and values – 59% Change efforts must focus on processes and structures – 76% Implications forleadership and change - beliefs Poirier & Associates, Inc.

10. Shifting leadership assumptions • Leadership can be learned. It is about understanding and about leader thinking, behaviors and actions. It is not an inherent set of traits such as charisma or IQ. • The adaptability of organizations depends on having widespread leadership that can comes from anywhere within an organization, not just from those in top positions of authority. • Because adaptive change generates resistance, exercising leadership can be both difficult and dangerous. Poirier & Associates, Inc.

11. Norm Todd at PhamExcel • Part One • Your general observations about Norm during year one? • What questions do you have about the situation? • What advice would you have for Norm? • Part two • Which of Norm’s actions do you feel were critical in year two? • What did he miss? • Part three • How do you assess Norm’s leadership across the three years? Poirier & Associates, Inc.

12. Leadership Agility (Joiner & Josephs, 2008) • “The ability to take wise and effective action amid complex, rapidly changing conditions” based on a comprehensive understanding of existing realities. • A set of KSA’s needed for sustained leadership success in contemporary organizations that are characterized by turbulence and imperatives for change Poirier & Associates, Inc.

13. Life Pre-conventional Impulsive and self protective Conventional Conformist and conscientious Post conventional Individualistic and autonomous Leadership Catalyst Influence based on vision, transformation and development Achiever Influence based on challenge and satisfaction related to superordinate goals Expert Influence based on authority and expertise Stages of development Poirier & Associates, Inc.

14. The distribution of leadership • Pre-expert (10%) • Expert (45%) • Achiever (35%) • Catalyst (10% • Co-creator (4%) • Synergist (1%) Organizational ceiling Source: Leadership Agility (Joiner & Josephs, 2003)

15. The Leadership Agility Model Context Self- leadership Leadership Agility Stakeholder creative Source: Leadership Agility (Joiner & Josephs, 2003)

16. Levels of awareness:stepping back capacities • Context setting agility • Situational awareness • Stakeholder agility • Stakeholder understanding • Creative agility • Reflective judgment • Self leadership agility • Self awareness Source: Leadership Agility (Joiner & Josephs, 2003)

17. Agility: Stepping Back Capacities Context Situational awareness Self- Leadership Self-awareness Leadership Agility Stakeholder understanding Creative Reflective judgment Source: Leadership Agility (Joiner & Josephs, 2003)

18. Agility: taking action capacities • Context setting agility • Situational awareness & Sense of Purpose • Stakeholder agility • Stakeholder understanding & Power Style • Creative agility • Reflective judgment & Connective Intuition • Self leadership agility • Self awareness & Developmental Motivation Source: Leadership Agility (Joiner & Josephs, 2003)

19. Agility: stepping back + engagement Context Situational awareness + Sense of purpose Self- Leadership Self-awareness + motivation Leadership Agility Stakeholder Understanding + Power style Creative Reflective judgment + Connective intuition Source: Leadership Agility (Joiner & Josephs, 2003)

20. Agility: capacities + practices Source: Leadership Agility (Joiner & Josephs, 2003)

21. Three arenas • Leading organizational change • Initiatives designed to change and organization and its relationship to its broader environment • Leading teams • Initiatives intended to improve a team and/or its relationship to its broader environment • Pivotal conversations • Direct person to person discussions where important outcomes are at stake Source: Leadership Agility (Joiner & Josephs, 2003)

22. Expert level leaders • View of leadership • Tactical, problem solving orientation. Leaders are respected and followed based on expertise • Organizational change • Incremental improvements within boundaries of departments/subsystems; little stakeholder interaction • Leading teams • Focus on urgent and technical issues. Emphasize vertical integration through individuated role clarity • Pivotal conversations • Strongly assert opinions or avoid conflict. Averse to giving or receiving feedback Key limitations are sustainability and scalability Source: Leadership Agility (Joiner & Josephs, 2003)

23. Achiever level leaders • View of leadership • Strategic, outcome orientation. Leaders motivate by making it challenging and satisfying to accomplish goals • Organizational change • Improvement at sub-system boundaries based on analysis of external environment and stakeholder input • Leading teams • Manage and motivate the team as a whole; meetings focus on key issues and are sometimes orchestrated to get buy in • Pivotal conversations • Assert or Accommodate depending on power style preference; sometimes compromise to get desired outcomes; accepting of feedback and may seek it Key limitations are “Y” assumptions about people and participation as a means to an end Source: Leadership Agility (Joiner & Josephs, 2003) .

24. Catalyst level leaders • View of leadership • Visionary and facilitative; leaders articulate a vision, get the right people to transform it to reality, empower others to do it • Organizational change • Developing a culture that promotes teamwork, participation and empowerment; getting input from multiple stakeholders • Leading teams • Creating a highly participative team, promotion of open exchange of dissenting views on difficult issues • Pivotal conversations • Varying styles between assertiveness and cooperativeness; proactive about seeking feedback Key differences include participation as the end not the means; trust and belief in human and organizational potential; aiming through the target Source: Leadership Agility (Joiner & Josephs, 2003)

25. Common denominators:a process for Learning Leadership 1 My ideal self: Who do I want to be? 2 My real self: Who am I? 5 Experimenting with new behavior Developing: Evaluating new behaviors and incorporating or discarding them 3a My strengths: Where ideal and real overlap 4 My learning agenda Building and reducing 3b My Gaps: Where my ideal and real differ Poirier & Associates, Inc.

26. Learning Leadership • Often requires “unlearning” what has been positively reinforced in the past • Requires a high degree of self-awareness (Boyatsis, 2007) • Depends on “deliberate and active experimentation” with new skills • Is realized when there is movement to higher through stages: expert – achiever - catalyst Poirier & Associates, Inc.