There is not a single formula that ensures the success of every leader. However, there is a unique blueprint that can help everyone reach their leadership potential. This master plan for each leader is complex and different for every person. There are numerous theories to consider, experiences one must go through and immeasurable personal growth that is vital to the development of a successful leader. The “perfect” blueprint provides the individual with a pathway to achieve their potential as a leader.
“There are almost as many different definitions of leadership as there are people who have tried to define it” (Stogdill, 1974, p. 7). Leadership is a process whereby an individual influences a group of individuals to achieve a common goal (Northouse, 2016, p. 6). This definition highlights several common components of leadership – process, influence, groups and common goals. Army Doctrine Publication 6-22 (2012) provides more detail, defining leadership as “the process of influencing people by providing purpose, direction and motivation to accomplish the mission and improve the organization.” The inclusion of the three vital drivers of the process is essential to developing the blueprint. Sometimes one or more of these components is not necessary to reach a goal. However, providing purpose, direction and motivation whenever appropriate fosters trust and confidence between a leader and subordinates.
Northouse (2016) discusses a belief that certain people are “natural leaders” or “born to be a leader.” This concept is based on the idea that people are born with specific qualities or traits “that differentiate them from nonleaders.” There is not a definitive list of essential leadership traits. However, some of the more commonly agreed upon traits are intelligence, determination, self-confidence, sociability and integrity (Northouse, 2016, p. 23). Subscribing to only this theory it certain to discourage many who are not born with the “leadership traits” as it suggests that one may not develop or improve on these traits.
A life-long synthesis of knowledge, skills and experiences accumulated through educational and training opportunities (Leader Development, 2015) are the blueprint for the development of individual leaders. Personal and professional growth opportunities must exist for leaders to develop. All five of the traits listed above can be cultivated. Feedback and self-reflection are also essential to the process. For instance, sociability and self-confidence are often lacking in inexperienced leaders. Working through a challenging leadership scenario followed by constructive feedback can build confidence and develop trust, both of which often lead to increased sociability.
The perfect blueprint outlines individual strengths and weaknesses, provides a multitude of personal and professional growth opportunities; encourages interaction with and empathy for others while allowing a person to develop effective leadership styles that fit a variety of situations. Encouragement, feedback and introspection are paramount to successful development.
Leadership is a process that influences groups to achieve common goals. Certain individuals are born with “preferred” leadership traits. However, these personal attributes can be developed and honed through perpetual experiences designed to develop the individual into a respected, trusted leader. The perfect blueprint provides individuals with a pathway to achieve their leadership potential.
References
Army Leadership [ADP 6-22]. (2012, September 10). Headquarters, Department of the Army, Washington, D.C. Retrieved on June 18, 2017, from http://cape.army.mil/repository/doctrine/adp6-22.pdf
Leader Development [Army Field Manual 6-22]. (2015, June 30). Headquarters, Department of the Army, Washington, D.C. Retrieved on June 18, 2017, from Http://www.apd.army.mil/epubs/DR_pubs/DR_a/pdf/web/fm6_22.pdf
Northouse, P.G. (2016). Leadership: Theory and Practice (7th ed.). Los Angeles: SAGE Publications Ltd.
Stogdill, R. M. (1974). Handbook of leadership: A survey of theory and research. New York: Free Press.
John Ellis says
gpm5103,
A simple take, indeed. Thanks for your comments and analysis of my post. As evidenced by Northouse (2016) – one of the countless texts devoted to the subject – leadership is an extremely complex topic. The denotation of “blueprint” is an exact print or list of steps as your mind envisioned. In the context of my post, however, the “perfect” blueprint is a much more abstract idea that encompasses many and perhaps all of the leadership theories and approaches of Northouse (2016) as well as others that may exist. I propose that each theory or approach has its own merits that may apply to most leadership situations. But, no single theory is all encompassing.
If I had to pick a single methodology to develop leaders (including myself), I would select the situational approach. Leaders who are set in their ways, or are unable to adapt to changing situations and follower needs and expectations, will likely experience more failure than anticipated. This idea is not unique to military leaders. White-collar and blue-collar leaders face the same inherent challenges as military leaders.
Of course, many of the situations and organizational procedures are different. Perhaps surprisingly, the similarities are prevalent. If you were to name several challenges you faced as a leader or that your bosses may have faced with you or an organization, I am confident that I have dealt with at least 75 percent of them. Business is not the same as combat, but the Army is not combat all day, every day for all Soldiers. For instance, while I spent significant time training for war, less than 1% of my career was spent in actual combat situations. There is “real-life” applicability of military leadership experience just as wisdom from “Corporate America” may translate to the battlefield. In either case, situational awareness is vital.
To develop a blueprint, guideline or other leadership aid, the current state of a leader could be measured through a comprehensive array of tests drawn from several of the existing leadership philosophies. Northouse (2016) contains several leadership assessment tools including the Skills Inventory, Leadership Behavior Questionnaire and Situational Leadership Questionnaire. Once the tests have been analyzed, a comprehensive blueprint can be devised. This plan would merely be a starting point for one’s life-long journey to achieve their potential as a leader.
Exactly, what would the blueprint contain? Well, the plan would be unique to every person and it may be written down or conceptualized in one’s mind. It should be updated and changed periodically. Skills and traits to develop, behaviors to modify, leadership opportunities and goals are likely items for the “blueprint.” The pathway to leadership excellence is the synthesis of all (or at least many) of the theories and approaches contained in Northouse (2016), as well as the experiences of each leader and the situation in which they may find themselves.
References
Northouse, P.G. (2016). Leadership: Theory and Practice (7th ed.). Los Angeles: SAGE Publications Ltd.
gpm5103 says
Hi John, I think your idea of a “perfect blueprint for leadership” is admirable; however, I question how realistic it is. While Northouse does discuss the trait approach to leadership, it is simply one of sixteen theories found in his book. While the trait approach may seem favorable intuitively, it has many pitfalls. While you mention one in your post, that there is no definitive list of what traits make up a leader and included the traits central to the seemingly endless list of leadership traits, there still is no list of traits agreed upon that make up a leader (Northouse, 2016, pp.30). Another criticism critical to these theory is the subjectivity in the determinations of the “most important” traits of a leader (Northouse, 2016, pp. 31). A quantitative way to measure the data in determining the traits of a leader is needed in order to provide both more reliability and validity between research studies.
Furthermore, I am a little confused as to what the “perfect blueprint for leadership” really is. It would be helpful if you further elaborated on this idea and provided a step-by-step guide of how every individual is able to reach their full potential in terms of leadership. One of the resources you utilized throughout your post is based upon leadership in the Army, which I don’t find to be very representative for the population in other scenarios. The Army will always have leaders, because there will always individuals placed in higher rankings, not because they are natural-born leaders. The Army will also always have followers, because lower ranking soldiers are taught to follow orders of their superiors. Additionally, it can be argued that the leaders in the Army may not be as effective leaders if placed in real-life scenarios. Without the stressful situations, as found in times of combat, these individuals may not know how to lead others.
Leaders in the Army may be best described from the situational approach, rather than the trait approach. The situational approach is based on the premise that different scenarios require different approaches of leadership (Northouse, 2016, pp.93). In the life or death situations found in the Army, individuals placed into leadership, are likely to give commands and directions and their underlings will obey and carry out their orders. In a Corporate America differing situations might or would call for totally different management approaches.
A “blue-print” in my mind calls for exact steps to be followed like a recipe. If you follow the instrctions perfectly, there is very little room for error. Leadership is much more ambiguous and hard to pin down. What might work for someone today, would not be effective tomorrow or the next day. I believe your “blue-print” is a very simple take on an incredibly complex subject.
References:
Northouse, P.G. (2016). Leadership: Theory and Practice. Los Angeles: Sage Publications
dxt5155 says
John it is an interesting perspective that you have taken in your post. I can appreciate the Army perspective on leadership as I come from a long line of military leaders. I found the statement, “personal and professional growth opportunities must exist for leaders to develop”, interesting. From my experiences I have never had to wait for personal or professional opportunities to exist but rather either look for them or happen upon them unintentionally. I feel that your commentary on feedback and self-reflection being essential is very true, if the receiver actually utilizes that feedback and follows beyond self-reflection to corrective action when needed.
Overall I can see a lot of ways that the trait approach, skills approach, and psychodynamic approach reflect within your post and the perfect blueprint. As you were touching on the traits that could be cultivated, in essence they could even be considered skills, as they are learned behaviors. Speaking of behaviors there are a lot of personality like comments within your post that could be linked to the psychodynamic approach. I learned a lot about the perfect blueprint in this post, thank you for that!
Works Cited
Northouse, Peter G. (2013-02-02). Leadership: Theory and Practice (Kindle Location 6299). SAGE Publications. Kindle Edition.