Growing as a Leader

I was reading a book last night, which I will review later, and the author mentioned an article that intrigued me. The article is Seven Transformations of Leadership found in the April 2005 Harvard Business Review.

The premise of the article is stated in the summation on the cover of the article, "Leaders are made, not born, and how they develop is critical for organizational change." Three critical points jump off the page in that brief statement. Leadership is learned. Development of leadership skills is possible. The growth of every organization is tied to the development of its leaders.

I don't know that I want to tackle all three of those issues, but I do want to touch on the issue of development as a leader. The authors David Rooke and William Torbert identify seven "action logics" that reveal seven leadership styles that a person can develop. The way I understand "action logics" is that the actions a person uses to lead reveal the way he or she thinks and views leadership.

The seven logics are the Opportunist, Diplomat, Expert, Achiever, Individualist, Strategist, or Alchemist. These logics function as the leader's dominant way of thinking and influence the actions they take to lead others. These seven are on a scale from the Opportunist, who is the autocratic selfish leader, to the Alchemist, who not only leads effectively in the moment but is able to transform himself and others to have a more significant impact in the organization and the world.

The bottom line for me and you is found in these two questions we should be asking of ourselves, "What kind of leader am I right now, and what steps do I take to develop into a more effective leader?" Developing into a better leader requires intentionality, purpose, and work. We should take time to evaluate how we are currently leading, make sure we are "aiming the gun" in the right direction, and put into practice those things needed to improve our leadership.

I hope you will read the article, which is eleven pages long, and let it challenge you. I must admit I was not pleased with my self-evaluation. I saw a less that flattering view of myself in light of this article. However, the great news contained in the article is that leaders can and should grow and develop.