www.leadership-studies.com

A Yearning for the Vast and Endless Sea: From Competence to Purpose in Leadership Development

Richard BoldenPresentation for the RAF Leadership Centre conference: “Air Force Leadership – Changing Culture?” RAF Museum, Hendon, 18-19 July 2007

“If you want to build a ship, don't drum up the men to gather wood, divide the work and give orders. Instead, teach them to yearn for the vast and endless sea.”Antoine de St. Exupery (1900-1944)“The Wisdom of the Sands”

The obsession with competencies

http://www.assessmentspecialists.com/competency.html

The obsession with competencies

● Leadership and management competencies are perceived to offer:– A framework for effective behaviour– Objectivity and consistency of approach– Evidence-based assessment– A developmental framework– A way of communicating what is important

The obsession with competencies

● But they tend to:– Focus on present rather than future capabilities– Promote observable behaviours in preference

to relations, ethics and emotions– Conflate assessment & development priorities– Promote ‘leaders’ as the source of ‘leadership’– Underestimate the importance of context– Take a ‘deficit’ rather than ‘strengths’ approach

Competing accounts of leadership

● Comparison of l&m frameworks with accounts from practicing managers:– Personal values and vision absent in a third

of the competency frameworks analysed– Trust, ethics, inspiration, adaptability,

flexibility and resilience absent in two thirds– Personal beliefs, moral courage, humility,

emotional intelligence, coping with complexity, personal reflection and work-life balance absent in over 80%.

Bolden, 2005; Bolden and Gosling, 2006

WLT Reports (n=38) Competency Frameworks (n=29)

Word/theme Number Percent Number Percent

#trust 32 84.2% 8 27.6%

#reflect 30 78.9% 3 10.3%

courage 29 76.3% 6 20.7%

#belief 28 73.7% 4 13.8%

#follow* 26 68.4% 0 0%

#moral 26 68.4% 2 6.9%

#confidence 25 65.8% 10 34.5%

#Aware 24 63.2% 10 34.5%

#Inspiration 24 63.2% 9 31.0%

#Ethics 21 55.3% 8 27.6%

#honesty 21 55.3% 6 20.7%

#intellect 21 55.3% 6 20.7%

#Flexibility 20 52.6% 8 27.6%

Diversity 18 47.4% 6 20.7%

humility 18 47.4% 1 3.5%

#complexity 17 44.7% 5 17.2%

#listen 17 44.7% 8 27.6%

Work/life balance 17 44.7% 2 6.9%

#adapt 16 42.1% 7 24.1%

#emotion 16 42.1% 4 13.8%

#empathy 15 38.5% 2 6.9%

#intuition 11 28.2% 1 3.5%

RAF Leadership Attributes

● Warfighter, courageous● Emotionally intelligent● Flexible and responsive● Willing to take risks● Mentally agile – physically robust● Able to handle ambiguity● Politically and globally astute● Technologically competent● Able to lead tomorrow’s recruit

The map is not the terrain

René Magritte “The Treason of Images”, 1928-1929

The space in between

Rachel Whiteread "House”, 1993 concrete, (destroyed)

Lessons and implications

– Competencies are only a partial representation of management and leadership

– As well as map reading skills leaders (and followers) need to learn ‘bushcraft’ - in changing and unpredictable situations instinct, intuition & improvisation count!

“It is only with one’s heart that one can see clearly. What is essential is invisible to the eye.” (Antoine de St. Exupery)

“One man may hit the mark, another blunder; but heed not to these distinctions. Only from the alliance of the one, working with and through the other, are great things born.” (Antoine de St. Exupery)

Lessons and implications

– To improve ‘leadership’ in organisations we need to extend our focus beyond just ‘leaders’ to wider relational and contextual factors

– Competencies may be desirable but are not sufficient in of themselves to ensure success

“Language is the source of misunderstandings.” (Antoine de St. Exupery)

Lessons and implications

– The social world is largely constructed through the language we use

– Competencies and other frameworks are important sources of vocabulary but may limit what is discussed

“You become responsible forever for what you have tamed.” (Antoine de St. Exupery)

Lessons and implications

– Our behaviour is driven from our values, identity and sense of purpose rather than vice versa

– For enduring impact we need to connect individual, group and organisational aspirations

Structural/Organisational

Individual Social

Contextual

Developm

ental

Organisational culture, formal networks, communication channels, opportunities for engagement

Resources, rewards, progression

Personal & professional identity, relationships

Shared aims, values, purpose, goals

Personal qualities, experience, role

Systems, processes, practices

Social identity, informal networks, partnerships, alliances

Policy environment, location, size, disciplinary mix, etc.

Individual, group and organisational development; integration with organisational systems; career pathway; changing needs and priorities

Time

The landscape of leadership

Bolden, Petrov and Gosling, 2007

Developing leaders, leadership & organisations

Adapted from Day, 2001

Human Capital

Leader development

Individuals Social Capital

Leadership development

Groups and relationships

Organisational Capital

Organisational development

Systems and processes

An integrated approach to leadership development

Bolden, 2006

DIRECTION SETTING

STRUCTURE & PROCESSES

LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT

LEARNING TRANSFER

EVALUATION & REVIEW

Who am I &why am I here?

Who are we &what do we want to achieve?

DIALOGUEUNDERSTANDING

SHARED PURPOSE

Where do I want to be &how can I get there?

Where does the power lie &what are the blocks to change?

SYSTEMSROLES

FUNCTIONS

How can I make senseof my experience?

How can we facilitateengagement with leadership?

LEARNINGREFLECTION

EXPERIMENTATION

How can I make an impactwithin the system?

How can this learning be embedded in the organisation?

EMBEDDINGEXPERIENCEADAPTATION

How can I continue togrow & develop?

How can we improve on whatwe are doing?

IMPACTSCHANGE

Some conclusions

● LD is more than developing leaders● LD is an important forum for exploring

values, identity and purpose● LD can offer an initiating framework for

collective sense making and action● Collective capability emerges from a

shared sense of purpose and identity● Leadership and followership go hand in

hand

Parting thoughts

“A goal without a plan is just a wish.” (Antoine de St. Exupery)

“Leadership is more a state of mind than a place in a hierarchy.” (Bill Clinton, 2006)

Contact details

Richard BoldenResearch FellowCentre for Leadership StudiesUniversity of ExeterXfI Building, Rennes DriveExeter EX4 4ST

Tel: 01392 262579Email: Richard.Bolden@exeter.ac.uk Web: www.leadership-studies.com

References

● Bolden, R. (2005) The true face of leadership, European Business Forum, 21, 54-57.

● Bolden, R. (ed.) (2006) Leadership Development in Context, Leadership South West Research Report, University of Exeter

● Bolden, R. and Gosling, J. (2006) Leadership Competencies: time to change the tune? Leadership, 2(2), 147-163.

● Bolden, R. and Kirk, P. (2005) Leadership in Africa: Meanings, impacts and identities, Studying Leadership Conference, Lancaster University, 12-13 December.

● Bolden, R. and Kirk, P. (2006) Transforming Communities through Leadership Development: A Pan-African Example, British Academy of Management Conference, Belfast, 12-14 Sept.

● Bolden, R., Petrov, G. and Gosling, J. (2007) Developing Collective Leadership in Higher Education. Final report to the Leadership Foundation for Higher Education, May.

● Day, D. (2001) Leadership development: a review in context. Leadership Quarterly, 11(4), 581-613.