Answer to last month’s business dilemma
CHPD’s research has highlighted behaviours or capabilities that are generally lacking in the global leadership population, last month we asked you what they are. These are qualities that are especially helpful in dealing with periods of turbulence. Dr Tony Cockerill explains:
Our research at CHPD and with academic institutions over the last 30 years has led us to identify 12 High Performance Behaviours (HPBs). What we have found is that if leaders use these HPBs, their teams and businesses are going to perform better.
In our work, we have gathered data on how current leaders perform against this 12 HPBs. In the following diagram, you can see a summary of our global benchmark database of HPB leadership profiles.
Please click here to see full image
The data in the above diagram is gathered in an observational way and so is the most robust data you can obtain. Ideally what we would like to see is for all HPBs to be developed above the benchmark line. Clearly that isn’t the case. What we see is a skewed profile of HPBs across the world. The big question is why is that? Why are the HPBs on the left of our diagram (customer focus, teamwork and conceptual flexibility) so underdeveloped?
Our view is that the developed behaviours (left side of the above diagram) are those needed to run a unit in a more traditionally structured organisation. This is characterised by people who are good at planning, can solve problems, they have good presentation skills and are able to build confidence in others and make things happen. The dilemma we face is that the behaviours that are most under-developed are exactly the ones that are most crucial to the building and leading of organisations that are founded on the four management systems we have outlined as essential for success today. If we don’t develop the under-developed behaviours then things will quickly move back to a traditional set up. This profile is stifling our ability to build organisations that have the potential to be successful in dynamic and turbulent environments.
In summary, we have a general shortage of leaders, we see a skewed HPB profile in the leaders that we do have to the extent that our leaders are most underdeveloped in the very behaviours that are needed for success going forward.