WJM's Executive Leadership Behavior Model

WJM's Executive Leadership Behavior Model draws on over 15 years of experience assessing executives from many top corporations and partnering with our Faculty of over 200 of the best leadership development consultants in the world. This new model represents a renewal of WJM's Characteristics of Effective Leaders published in September 2007 into a full behavioral success model for leaders. It is benchmarked to the most widely used and validated competency models and is highly correlated with foundational research in the field of leadership and leadership development.

What’s Different About This Model?

We believe that a leadership behavior model offers key benefits as a good "leaping-off" point for identifying and developing current and future leaders. However, too often talent management professionals fall into the trap of building leadership development programs around a "master list" of necessary leadership characteristics, only to be ignored by business leaders who view the programs as HR bureaucracy, divorced from the line organization and the realities of actual business decision making.

As longtime WJM Faculty Member Dr. Ed Piccolino pointed out in a previous WJManagement Advisor article (The Competency Model Controversy), in the real world, promotion decisions are often made ad hoc by line managers as the result of unplanned job vacancies and are based on skills demonstrated during real, actual work and directly observed by the manager and others, not from a supposed "ultimate" list of competencies distributed by the Human Resources department.

However, making promotion decisions based solely on job performance is also not a sound strategy, especially in light of the mantra "Change is the only Constant." Research has clearly shown that, much like a mutual fund, past performance is no guarantee of future returns. One study found that 71% of "high performers" were not "high potentials" (Corporate Leadership Council, 2005). A future oriented leadership model can be useful for identifying whether or not today’s solid performers have the competencies or exhibit the behaviors required to succeed in a new role with different responsibilities. In addition, they provide a benchmark from which to assess existing talent against future success factors.

Key Benefits of Competency Models:

• Convey and reinforce a company’s culture
• Establish a benchmark for measurement for assessment, selection and development
• Can be tailored to business strategy and future goals
• Introduce consistency and rigor into HR processes
• Help drive common conversations around talent
• Reduce ambiguity and reliance on personal opinion
• Increase focus on results

(Source: Summary notes from WJM Client Roundtable: Competency Models: What the “Bleep” Are We Assessing?)

However, Competency Models ought not to be the sole criteria from which organizations assess, select and develop their leaders. These models cannot replace observation and intuition. They must be flexible enough to truly reflect the company’s strategy since criteria for “high-potential" shifts with the business and must connect to real business issues. For example, today’s finance industry may assess executives against risk orientation differently than in the recent past. This is a reminder that these models must be kept dynamic enough to align with ever-changing business realities.

Beyond even the most updated and complete competency model, additional criteria for promotion or high potential designation must be measured and considered – factors like an individual’s aspiration for additional leadership responsibility and his or her level of engagement with the organization. These are typically ascertained through interviews with the executive and reviews of past development plans and performance management data.
 

WJM’s Executive Leadership Behavior Model

Our years of work supporting senior executives in multiple industries across multiple jobs, coupled with recent research around key leadership behaviors for the 21st century, reveals that effective leadership requires competence in four main leadership areas:

1) Leading Self

• Self Management: Maintains composure under pressure; manages own emotions and reactions and remains constructive and productive during challenging times.
• Self Awareness: Shows accurate awareness of own strengths and weaknesses and how they impact others.
• Developing Self: Demonstrates commitment to personal development; an agile, continuous learner who approaches situations with openness and intellectual curiosity.
• Authenticity: Consistently adheres to the company’s stated values and vision during both better and tougher times; models personal integrity by keeping own word and promoting transparency.

2) Leading Others

• Connecting With Others: Builds positive, effective relationships with stakeholders at all levels.
• Building Teams: Understands competencies required for success in key positions; sets high standards for selection of team members and is committed to their ongoing development.
• Inspiring: Creates strong morale and spirit in his/her team; shares wins and successes; builds trust, commitment and alignment with organizational goals.
• Developing & Communicating Strategic Vision: Clearly defines and communicates the company’s future in optimistic, vivid terms through actions and words.

3) Leading Results

• Global Perspective: Possesses sophisticated knowledge of global industry, markets, customers and competitors as well as understanding of local context. Seeks cross-cultural learning opportunities and takes the broadest view of issues and challenges.
• Decisiveness & Discernment: Makes sound, defensible decisions in a timely fashion, especially in times of crisis and uncertainty; balances bias for action with thoughtful analysis and seasoned judgment.
• Strategic & Systems Orientation: Maintains long-term, systemic perspective. Goes beyond analyzing events, to look for patterns, underlying interrelationships and root causes.

4) Leading Change

• Fostering Innovation: Creates environment that encourages innovation and creativity in others.
• Adaptability & Resilience: Demonstrates personal flexibility and resilience in challenging or ambiguous circumstances; comfortably shifts gears in response to emerging priorities.
• Courage: Identifies and acts upon appropriate risks; encourages and supports others in taking appropriate risks.

The above list of behaviors may be useful as companies develop their selection criteria for senior executives and/or create targeted developmental plans to expand roles and job performance. Great leaders, and those capable of becoming them, are hard to find and even harder to retain. According to recent research from the Corporate Leadership Council, one in four high potentials plan to leave their jobs within the next year. The rate of dissatisfaction among high potentials is rising sharply as the economy stabilizes, with intent to leave at 27%, up from only 10% in 2006. While organizations typically rely on money and perks to retain top talent, other engagement strategies including customized development programs are often more effective. We believe WJM’s Executive Leadership Success model provides a powerful framework for carefully identifying, developing and keeping those with true potential.

Perhaps you recall, back in February Time Warner forced out Jack Griffin, the CEO of Time Inc., after just six months on the job. The dismissal came less than six months into Griffin's tenure - and with no clear successor lined up to take the reigns.

Surprising? Well, not really. The fact is, Griffin is just another example of the 40% or more of senior executives who will fail in their new roles within their first 18 months.

Intelligence, education, experience, a strong track record of success — not one of these is a guarantee of success in a new role. Enthusiasm, great ideas, a readiness to take on even the most challenging situation — all good stuff but still no guarantee. As it turns out, for those taking on a new position — and especially for those coming in from the outside — past achievement does not automatically translate into success in a new role.

So, how does a talented, enthusiastic, experienced leader effectively transition into a new role? Here are five tips that are sure to help.

Take your time. Trust me on this one. Whether you're there to sustain the success of a high performing organization or you've been brought in to rescue a sinking ship, don't make the mistake of rushing in too quickly. Of course, if you've got a sinking ship on your hands, you're probably under a great deal of pressure to make rapid, sweeping changes. Be aware, though, if you come in with guns ablazin', you may very well alienate the very people you'll be relying upon to turn things around.

Slow yourself down. Allow time to get to know people, to learn the terrain, to gain insight into the history of your new organization. Most importantly, you'll want to spend adequate time forming positive working relationships, establishing credibility and trust with key internal and external stakeholders.

Align with your new boss. Make sure you are very, very clear about the boss's expectations. If you've got more than one manager, this becomes a bit more complex - yet even more essential - as your bosses' expectations may not be in alignment. Take the time to clarify and, if necessary, negotiate around priorities. The point is, if you don't have a clear or consistent mandate from your manager, you are almost sure to fail, which will be a major loss for you, your boss, your team and the organization. So get clear on what the boss wants and direct your efforts accordingly.

Learn the culture and politics. This is especially important if you're coming into your role from another company, although simply moving from one department to another may require some cultural adaptation. Ask lots of questions and do plenty of observing, as you strive to understand how decisions are made, what style of communication works best (and worst), how people are motivated, what sort of political environment you're entering, etc. Failing to take the time to learn the cultural and political landscape means you're likely to make incorrect assumptions and inadvertently say or do something that may ultimately lead to your downfall.

Learn the key players. This means getting to know the people above you (everyone from your direct and dotted line supervisors to the members of the Board) and below (including your direct reports and the layers of people who work for them). You'll want to learn about your peers, business partners, key customers, regulatory authorities and so on. How do these folks operate? What's the most effective way to lead, partner with and/or influence the various key players? Who are the formal and informal leaders with whom you must ally early in the game? Understanding and forming relationships with these key individuals will be essential to your success in your new role.

Discover the watch-outs and potential landmines — before inadvertently stepping on them. It's essential to be proactive here. Ask lots of questions. Speak to a variety of people in order to solicit a wide array of perspectives and experiences. If you fail to do this, you run the risk of saying the wrong thing, at the wrong time, to the wrong person… or firing someone who is politically off-limits… or pulling the plug on a beloved (even if past its prime) program, etc. Mistakes like these can deal a real blow to your credibility and set the stage for your eventual undoing.

Remember, Jack Griffin wasn't fired because he lacked talent. He was fired, according to Time Warner CEO, Jeff Bewkes, because his leadership style "did not mesh with Time Inc and Time Warner." Why not learn from Griffin's mistakes? Take the time you'll need to get to know your new organization, with an emphasis on its people and culture — and keep the big guns securely holstered for now.
 

We would like to extend a warm welcome to WJM Associates' new Program Coordinator and Office Manager, Cordelia Abrokwah. Cordelia will work closely with the Company's leadership team as well as with the WJM Faculty on managing consulting engagements. She will oversee customer support, client relations and a variety of project management protocols. Cordelia will also be responsible for maintaining the day-to-day efficiency at WJM's Headquarters.

Cordelia is an active volunteer in her community, serving as a Girl Scouts Troop Leader and as the assistant to the President of Beginning Anew Community Development Corporation, an organization that focuses on rehabilitating families after traumatic life experiences. She attends Hofstra University where she is pursuing a dual degree in History and Education with a minor in Political Science.

"Cordelia's passion for excellent client service and unique skill set make her a wonderful addition to our team. We're really excited to have her." said Tim Morin President and CEO of WJM.