Bosses, Managers, and Leaders

Published by Alice Snell, on 01/04/2011

Talent management and HR leaders in all business sectors are chasing the formula for better execution through the competencies of their managerial and executive staff. A study of nearly 1,000 companies on six continents by the American Management Association (AMA) in partnership with the Institute for Corporate Productivity (i4cp) determined a majority of large organizations have implemented or plan to implement global leadership development initiatives. It found that the most widely taught competencies were critical thinking and problem solving, change management, building and leading cross-cultural teams, ability to influence and build coalitions, and execution of global strategies.

An Institute of Leadership & Management study, Creating future leaders, asked: What charateristics define a leader?

The Partnership for Public Service and Hay Group report, Leading Innovation in Government, articulates the competencies this way:  The leaders best equipped to steer our nation embody a set of attributes:

• They are resilient. They aren’t seriously impeded by structural, procedural, cultural or political barriers. And when they do encounter resistance, they don’t give up.
• They are visionary, self-aware and constantly broadening their perspective.
• They understand and know how to navigate through and around their organization’s structure, culture and politics. They also understand and respect the roles, boundaries and agendas of other governmental organizations.
• They purposefully leverage networks and relationships, and use complex influencing skills to collaborate across organizational boundaries.
• They build strong, diverse teams through their leadership, creating a sense of purpose, fostering a climate that facilitates innovation and developing others as an essential part of their job.

Google’s Quest to Build a Better Boss used characteristically appropriate data-mining and analytics to arrive at the Eight Habits of Highly Effective Google Managers.

There is consistency across these studies and industries in citing the need for strong communication and coaching, feedback, and development. Each study reinforces the importance of talent management practices and technology solutions that enable bosses, managers, and leaders to thrive.