The leadership development world has no shortage of books, courses, programs, models, and workshops designed to help leaders and future leaders develop the necessary skills to produce business results and people results. In fact, the global market for training in 2019 was approximately $370 billion (US).
For some leaders and development professionals, this abundance of riches presents challenges. Though there is a time and place for highly targeted learning experiences, they may want to start with just one model that addresses the key relationships and skills that all leaders need.
The Stewart Leadership LEAD NOW! Leadership Development Model provides a comprehensive, clear approach to creating leaders for all levels of an organization. Developed over 45 years through work with thousands of leaders, the LEAD NOW! Model is a versatile, unique, and accessible way to address the most essential needs of leaders at any level.
Here are five advantages of using the LEAD NOW! Model to develop your leaders:
“Leadership” is an enormous topic. Tackling the entire field of “leadership” without having some kind of model to work from may be overwhelming and frustrating. Where does one even begin?
The LEAD NOW! Model approaches “leadership” by breaking it down into essential expectations and necessary skills. Based on decades of research and experience, Stewart Leadership professionals have identified four essential expectations for all leaders; these expectations create the foundation of the LEAD NOW! Model:
Quadrant I: Create Purpose
Quadrant II: Deliver Excellence
Quadrant III: Develop Self & Others
Quadrant IV: Lead Change
Each quadrant contains four to seven more specific leadership skills that help define great leadership. Leaders can drill down into quadrants or skills where they have the most opportunity for growth to focus on specific areas of improvement.
Segmenting leadership into quadrants and skills is only one aspect of the LEAD NOW! Model. Leaders need to deliver both people and business results, internally and externally. The LEAD NOW! Model addresses the points where these goals intersect:
In Quadrant 1, External Focus connects with Business Results to emphasize Creating Purpose.
In Quadrant 2, Internal Focus connects with Business Results to emphasize Delivering Excellence.
In Quadrant 3, Internal Focus connects with People Results to emphasize Developing Self and Others.
In Quadrant 4, External Focus connects with People Results to emphasize Leading Change.
With the addition of the People/Business Results axis and the Internal/External Focus axis, leaders can more easily see how an emphasis on development in specific quadrants and skills will help produce the results they need.
At the foundation of the LEAD NOW! Model are four critical relationships for every leader: relationship with the boss, with peers, with direct reports, and with customers. These relationships correspond to the People/Business Results and Internal/External Focus axes:
A leader’s Boss is primarily concerned with Business Results.
A leader’s Peers have a largely Internal Focus.
A leader’s Direct Reports are primarily concerned with People Results.
A leader’s Customers have a largely External Focus.
While these relationships might not be written out on the quadrants and axes of the model, they do underlie everything else. Relationships are the heart of business and the marketplace, and the LEAD NOW! quadrants and skills are designed to give leaders a way to focus their development toward improving relationships as they deliver results.
Some leaders are naturally gifted with business acumen; others are naturally gifted with relationship acumen. Great leaders need a good balance of both.
The LEAD NOW! Model recognizes the value of relationships and emotional intelligence, but it doesn’t neglect the importance of business skills and acumen. The top two quadrants of the model tend to emphasize the Business Intellect side of leadership—the “head” skills, such as strategic thinking, customer focus, decision-making, and delegating. The bottom two quadrants emphasize the Emotional Intelligence (EQ) of leadership—“heart” skills, such as inspiring commitment, organizational savvy, coaching, listening, and valuing others.
People often get promoted because they are great “doers”—that is, they excel at the skills in the second quadrant where they produce great business results and deliver excellence. However, once they are in leadership roles, these excellent individual contributors may struggle to deliver people results or develop an external focus.
The LEAD NOW! Model helps emerging leaders identify gaps in their skills that may keep them from being promoted. For example, leaders who are great at delegating and decision-making may find that they struggle to inspire commitment or develop a strong team. Rather than wait for unhappy direct reports, peers, or customers to complain, these leaders can use the LEAD NOW! Model to identify those areas for improvement.
Leaders may earn a seat at the table through natural acumen, but the LEAD NOW! Model will help them keep it—and potentially move up to the head of the table.
Great leadership is key to an organization’s performance, and leaders need focused, comprehensive development to deliver business results and people results. The Stewart Leadership LEAD NOW! Model is flexible, accessible, and practical enough to use in any engagement—whether one-on-one coaching or a large leadership development program. Our network of certified LEAD NOW! professionals can help your existing and up-and-coming leaders grow to deliver the business and people results you want. To learn more about scheduling a consultation or earning your own LEAD NOW! certification, contact us.