The Nine Behaviors of  Leadership™ Program challenges past assumptions about management in American businesses and corporations--that it be autocratic, with a strong high-level leader who dictates what must be done and when. Even though participatory leadership has been espoused by management theorists for years, many organizations still define leadership as a single, charismatic executive who happened to be born with rhetorical skills, management know-how, a tough hide, and the ability to push others to extremes.  Academic theory versus management reality is the justification for ignoring a different kind of leadership.

We challenge this  "pragmatic reality" view because the focus tends to be on driving short term results which, more often than not, obliterate long-term success and sustain ability. And as long as these kinds of leadership myths persist, real leadership development cannot take place.

We feel that leadership is actually much more complex, that it should exist at different levels within an organization, and that participatory leadership should be woven into the fabric of a company. Participatory leadership taps into the vast potential of every employee, catalyzing personal and professional growth and creates a culture of organizational success. Rather than driving hard for immediate results, participatory leadership is a model that looks to future sustain ability by balancing the need for results with understanding the process and paying attention to relationships. And best of all, this leadership can be learned as one challenges current assumptions, changes behavioral patterns, and implements new action plans.

Rather than have individual managers spend costly weeks away from work,  we structure our workshops to fit a business work schedule. In workshops ranging from one day to three with monthly follow-up, or delivered on a monthly schedule, we introduce the Nine Leadership Behaviors to small groups of 18-25 participants--a large enough size for good interaction and small enough for individual learning. A year-long program is strongly suggested, and we provide extensive e-mail, fax, and telephone support,

Participants are introduced to general leadership ideas and touch base with their own conceptions of leadership before being introduced to each of the Nine Behaviors of Leadership™. They break into small groups, interact with each other, summarize common threads, and present their findings to the larger group. Sometimes they role-play; sometimes they tackle real issues confronting their company. There's lots of discussion and new ideas. Then each participant develops a specific action plan to take back to work, one that clearly addresses obstacles before creating action steps. The group develops a bond, and creates a model of team leadership, sharing and reflection.

The Nine Behaviors of Leadership™ that develop exceptional leaders.

1. Motivating Others through Adaptive Leadership  (Knowing when to direct, coach,  facilitate, or delegate, depending on the task and person)

 
2. Empowering Others (Using Rosabeth Moss Kanter's framework of important work, visibility, autonomy, and networking)

 
3. Encouraging Teamwork (Balancing results, process, and relationships)

 
4. Preparing People for Change (Understanding their psychological responses and helping them create positive change with force-field analysis)

 
5. Vision/Mission (Getting the map together and articulating it with sensitivity)

 
6. Using Multiple Options Thinking (Seeing different strategic possibilities and being open to more day-to-day options)

 
7. Taking Intelligent Risks (Relating decision-making to risks, getting consensus)

 
8. Stretching Personal Creativity (Renewing personal resources)

 
9. Showing Passion for Work (Demonstrating presence, inspiration, energy)

 

You may wish to view the online assessments that we use in the Nine Behaviors of Leadership™ Training. See the 360 degree Leadership Assessment, Management/Leadership Assessment Scale, and Teamwork Assessment.

Nine Behaviors of Leadership™ Trainer's Guide
(Complete Guide to teaching the Nine Behaviors)