Leadership development is a topic that has been, continues to be, and will continue to be written about. In fact, as long as the world has leaders, the literature to define, understand and develop them will continue to grow. What if we looked at our leaders from their perspective as learners. What would that tell us about them?
There is a good chance that if the trends observed in the environment continue, organizations that know how to identify and cultivate agile leaders will benefit from a significant competitive advantage, marked by their openness to change, but also by the ability of their teams to quickly grasp the challenges of a new situation and to take advantage of what they learn from their experiences to improve performance.
There is no denying the general acceleration of the business world, nor the growing complexity of work contexts and the ambiguity through which our leaders are called to make decisions. This is a recognized reality and the obligatory introduction to almost all of today’s publications.
Depending on the industry in which you work, the effects of these changes are felt in varying degrees of intensity. Still, most of us have been faced with an unprecedented obstacle where all of our usual reference points have proven useless. These situations are becoming increasingly common and for many leaders, the phrase “What got you here won’t get you there” has become a daily reality.
As a business leader or human development specialist, we are entrusted with the responsibility of identifying and cultivating talented leaders who can lead in a world of constant change. How have we met this challenge so far?
- Through a race to identify the skills of “the future.” At the top of most lists: complex problem solving, critical thinking, creativity.
- Through the gradual transformation of leadership development programs, a process that remains long, cumbersome and costly, with sometimes uncertain results.
- By pushing programs to an elite group of leaders and implementing individualized development plans that are too often incomplete and without follow-up.
How do you develop the next generation of leaders when the targets are constantly changing? How can we accelerate their development without breaking the bank?
Something is missing.
The sustained progress of leaders is no longer determined by mastering today’s skills, or even tomorrow’s, but by their ability to learn with agility – quickly and flexibly – as changes occur.
Agile learners stand out because of their willingness to innovate, to perform quickly in new and changing situations, to reflect critically on their experiences, and to take risks to move out of their comfort zone. But above all, they have the courage to abandon irrelevant or outdated lessons, to unlearn and relearn as the environment evolves. This is what the Center for Creative Leadership showed us in their Learning About Learning Agility white paper written by Adam Mitchinson and Robert Morris. In short, tomorrow’s leaders are learners who are in the driver’s seat of their own development.
Can you spot these leaders in your ranks?
Discussion
If you are invested in leadership development, share your tips for identifying and developing tomorrow’s leaders. Here are a few questions to get us started:
- What needs to change in our talent management practices to emphasize learning agility as a critical meta-skill?
- How can we reduce people’s dependence on current development models and encourage them to take charge of their own development?
- If we succeed, how will it affect you and your role in the organization?
Adapted from an originally article published in Revue RH, vol. 20, no. 1, avril/mai/juin 2017.