Get an overview of the theory and our view on leadership.
Learn about the assessment tools we use.
Find out more about our programs and strategic approach.
Read case studies about our real-world effect on leadership.
Leaders require the ability to work across levels, from understanding how their team fits into the business strategy, to approving leave requests. The strategic to the transactional. Simplistic models don't represent the complexity of leadership, which is why our view includes multiple dimensions.
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A group of loggers is chopping down trees quickly and efficiently. All is going well until someone notices... Hey guys, we're in the wrong forest. ˜ Inspired by Stephen Covey |
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Our model starts with the strategic question – "On what should leaders spend their time?" Using the logging analogy – if leaders are skilled loggers, in which forests should they work and which forests should they leave to others?
The work of all leaders can be categorised into four inter-related responsibilities:
Successful leaders understand people – their strengths, weaknesses and motivators - and use this knowledge to get the best out of their staff. They also understand their own role in the organisational system.
To deliver these key responsibilities requires particular high-level leadership capabilities:
In logging terms, these represent the variety of tools needed to get the work done.
Kaya believes that these are the core responsibilities of all leadership work, irrespective of industry or hierarchical level. However, the effort and time an individual will allocate to each of these elements will differ according to role. A global banking CEO and branch manager may both strive to build culture, but the time and resources each would be able to allocate would be vastly different.
Traditionally, leadership development focuses on what leaders do. How to have difficult conversations, how to communicate effectively. But if you want to help a leader improve, you need to focus on how they think. Why? Because our thoughts and beliefs dictate our behaviours.
Returning to logging – if you have three different axe heads, which is best for the tree in front of you? That decision requires judgement.
Judgement cannot be taught in a workshop. Effective leaders recognise that how they weigh up different options is determined by their own values and preferences. Do they choose the axe they've used for years, or a new design?
A leader that understands themselves and their mental models, makes better decisions, which leads to better results. This is why our leadership solutions are grounded in thinking.
Past performance predicts future behaviour... only when situations are similar.
Many promotion or identification decisions are based on current performance. It assumes high performers will perform equally well in other roles. However, this is not the case, particularly the shift from individual performer to becoming a first line leader. Leadership requires a very different skill set for success. There is no crystal ball, but science tell us that effective leaders share key characteristics.
Not everyone is designed to be a leader.
What about existing leaders? Which employees have the potential to be future leaders? How can you best develop the leaders you already have? Using objective, validated data is a cost-effective method to:
Identify and grow internal leadership potential, instead of buying in expertise.
Measure leader performance, highlighting areas for growth.
Target development activities to only those required, saving time and money.
Track changes in leader performance over time, to determine effectiveness of development.
Almost all psychometric assessments used for leadership selection provide valuable information that can be used for professional development. The following assessments are additional objective assessments to build self-awareness or measure leadership performance.
The Myers Briggs Type Inventory considers an individual's preferred behaviours, which are part of personality. It is one of the most common tools to aid understanding of self and others.
The Hogan series is concerned with personality – the characteristic ways in which we behave that make us who we are. This includes behaviours both when an individual is at their best and under pressure, and the values that motivate behaviour. It is appropriate for all employees, but of particular benefit to understand reactions under stress and pressure.
A 360-degree feedback tool based upon the four key performance areas of the Work of the Leader model. In line with our thinking this framework is suitable for all industries and levels of leadership but can be tailored to align with an organisation’s specific needs.
Examines the elements of team effectiveness, thus is an outcome measure of leadership performance.
360-degree feedback tools designed for leaders working in the health and care sector, aligned with industry standards.
This 360-degree feedback tools examines a leader’s behaviours, beliefs and attitudes towards safety.
Leaders, like elite sportspersons, cannot simply arrive on the day and hope to perform at a high level without extensive preparation. Intentional leadership is the conscious decision by a leader to make the necessary investment of time and energy to train as a leader. Choosing to develop as a leader is therefore a discipline.
Elite athletes do not stop training once they are successful. New opponents, rule changes or injuries mean that what worked well previously worked may no longer do so. Ongoing development is essential to remaining effective as the world around us changes.
We don't have off-the-shelf leadership programs. Why? Because skills training in isolation is successful only when the problem is a lack of knowledge. We ask instead:
"I prefer to be certain there's a performance issue before raising it with staff."
Underlying thinking: What if they get upset, angry or make a complaint?
"There just isn't the time to coach my staff."
Underlying thinking: I'll start once I finish up this work. But the work never stops.
"I'm too busy dealing with day-to-day work for longer-term planning."
Underlying thinking: I'll get to it when I can.
You may have heard some of these before. Perhaps even said them yourself. These are some of the most common issues we hear from leaders, globally. Often leaders know what they should do, but struggle to implement in practice. In our experience, it is often leaders' thinking aboutkey leadership capabilities that become barriers.
Leaders don't work in isolation. They lead teams. They're part of a system, working with other leaders to achieve organisational goals.
There are many components to a successful team but the simplest solution is to develop yourself. A good leader can get the best from an average team, while a good team can't maintain high performance under an average leader.
Leadership coaching is powerful and effective. It helps leaders understand unhelpful thinking patterns impacting their performance, and to develop constructive thinking that underpins effective leadership behaviours.
Coaching is also used to integrate learning from other development activities, highlighting connections between theoretical content and practical workplace issues. The combined effect accelerates leadership development.
A group of leaders contains a lot of experience and intellectual horsepower. How do you harness this so everyone is pulling in the same direction? Through aligned thinking.
When it comes to abstract concepts such as teamwork, communication and purpose, an individual's mental models are as unique as they are themselves. A good team player could be considered as someone who works collaboratively to achieve outcomes, or someone who works alone to contribute high-quality input. Both are correct, but differing perspectives can lead to tension, misunderstanding and conflict.
Our solution is simple but effective. We get teams to talk - in a very particular way. We use facilitated, purposeful conversations to create shared understanding within a team. Because when everyone is on the same page, communication, productivity and performance soar.
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