What Does It Really Mean to Develop a Leader?

A manager attends a leadership development workshop and returns to work convinced of the importance of empowering others. Yet, weeks later, he is still reluctant to delegate decisions.

Another speaks enthusiastically about openness and the value of different perspectives, but becomes defensive when her own ideas are challenged.

A third embraces the principle of learning from mistakes, yet responds with blame when something goes wrong at work.

These are familiar contradictions in organizational life.

Why do they occur? Why does an understanding of leadership principles not always translate into the behaviours those principles call for?

And perhaps more fundamentally, when we say we are developing leaders, what exactly are we seeking to develop?

One way to explore this question is to consider why the same leadership learning can produce very different responses in practice.

Consider two managers who participate in the same leadership development programme. Both understand the importance of active listening, constructive feedback and openness to different perspectives.

Yet when confronted with disagreement, one becomes defensive and dismissive, while the other listens carefully, considers the alternative viewpoint and remains open to reconsidering their position.

What accounts for the difference?

The answers may lie in a combination of factors: individual experiences, deeply held assumptions, personal habits, values, organizational culture and the circumstances in which people work.

But these questions also invite us to examine how we approach leadership development itself.

Are we paying sufficient attention not only to what leaders know and what they do, but also to who they are becoming?

Know. Do. Become. — Three Dimensions of Leadership Development

Perhaps we can understand leadership development through three interconnected dimensions:

• Know: Developing the knowledge and understanding needed to lead effectively.

• Do: Translating that understanding into action through decisions, behaviours and

  everyday leadership practice.

• Become: Developing the person behind those actions: their self-awareness, character, values, moral discernment, relational wisdom and capacity to learn, serve and contribute.

These are not separate stages to be completed in sequence. They are interconnected aspects of a continuing developmental process.

What we know informs what we do. What we experience through practice can challenge our assumptions and deepen our understanding. Through feedback and reflection, we have opportunities to develop not only our capabilities but also ourselves.

And as we develop ourselves, we strengthen our capacity to lead.

The Person Behind the Role

Like a tree, much of what shapes a person's development lies beneath the surface.

Our values, beliefs and assumptions are like roots, influencing our words and actions. Over time, repeated actions form patterns and habits that help shape our character and the contribution we make.

But the relationship is not always straightforward. Our behaviour may sometimes contradict the very values we profess, particularly when we encounter pressure, uncertainty or disagreement.

A leader may sincerely believe in empowering others, yet struggle to relinquish control. Another may value openness but find criticism personally threatening.

Recognizing these contradictions invites us to look beyond the behaviours themselves and examine what may be giving rise to them.

It also reminds us that leadership development involves more than learning how to perform particular tasks. It involves examining the assumptions, habits and qualities that shape how we exercise leadership.

This is where the development of the person behind the role becomes especially important.

Supporting the Journey of Development

Organizations can provide the opportunities, resources and encouragement for leadership development. But the work of examining our assumptions, changing our habits and developing our character ultimately requires our own conscious effort.

In this sense, leadership development is inseparable from self-development.

And because it is self-development, its significance extends beyond the workplace. The more consistently our values find expression in how we live, work and relate to others, the greater the coherence between who we are and how we lead.

Yet personal development need not be a solitary journey.

When leaders are surrounded by colleagues, teams and communities who share a commitment to learning and growth, they may find greater confidence to acknowledge their limitations, welcome feedback and experiment with new ways of thinking and acting.

Growth often requires us to move beyond what is familiar and comfortable. A supportive environment does not remove that challenge, but it can provide the trust, encouragement and mutual support that help us face it.

This suggests that leadership development cannot be confined to the training room.

It calls for opportunities to:

• Apply learning in real situations.

• Receive meaningful feedback.

• Reflect honestly on experience.

• Make conscious efforts to improve.

The process is not necessarily linear. Practice may reveal limitations we had not previously recognized. Feedback may challenge long-held assumptions. Reflection may lead us to reconsider our responses and approach familiar situations differently.

Through continued practice, feedback and reflection, we create opportunities for further development.

And importantly, this journey can be strengthened when individuals know they are not undertaking it alone.

What, Then, Are We Really Developing?

Leadership development programs are often evaluated through participation, completion, satisfaction or the acquisition of particular competencies.

These measures have their place. But they may not tell us enough about what changes when individuals return to their everyday responsibilities.

Are they becoming more open to differing perspectives? More thoughtful in exercising authority? More willing to acknowledge mistakes? More capable of building trust and helping others develop?

And are the environments in which they work supporting these changes?

Such questions are not always easy to answer. Human development is complex, and its effects may emerge gradually through the choices people make and the relationships they cultivate.

Nevertheless, they are questions worth asking.

The real test of leadership development is not simply what people have learned, but what becomes different in how they think, act, relate to others and continue to grow.

Perhaps, then, developing leaders calls for more than equipping people with knowledge and techniques. It calls for creating opportunities and conditions in which people can consciously develop themselves, supported by others who are also learning and growing.

And that brings us back to our opening question:

When we seek to develop a leader, are we giving sufficient attention to the development of the person?

S.K. Segran  |  SOL International  |  www.sol.international