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THE LEADERSHIP CODE: FIVE CORE QUALITIES

Posted on May 18, 2009 - Filed Under General Posts

“This book creates order out of chaos,” I explain. The authors, Dave Ulrich, Norm Smallwood and Kate Sweetman, synthesised hundreds of studies, frameworks, tools and interviews to discover the essential rules of great leadership. “They think of The Leadership Code as a ‘unified field theory’ of leadership.”

“Like The Da Vinci Code?” Jinda teases.

“You could say that this is The Da Vinci Code for leadership. The authors say leadership has two principal parts: the leadership code, and the differentiators. The code represents about 60-70% of what makes an effective leader. It represents the fundamentals or essence of leadership. The differentiators may vary by strategy, vision and individual job requirements. Mastering the code becomes the foundation on which effective leadership is established.”

“What is the code, then?”

I explain the five codes that effective leaders must live by:

1. Leaders must invest in themselves to be personally proficient. Effective leaders manage their physical, emotional, intellectual and spiritual selves well. They learn constantly and deepen their insights about themselves. They are capable of quick, bold actions, as well as great patience. This is especially true in tough economic times when people look to their leaders for hope and confidence.

2. Good leaders know how to be strategists and can answer the question “Where are we going?” They test their big ideas pragmatically, and they work with others to find the path from the present to the desired future.

3. Effective leaders are executors. They ask: “How will we ensure that we reach our goal?” They understand how to make change happen, assign accountability, delegate appropriately, and make sure that teams work well together.

4. They are talent managers and engage people to get things done now, in a manner that generates intense personal, professional and organisational loyalty.

5. Finally, they are human-capital developers who build the next generation of leaders with the skills, knowledge, behaviours and attitudes for future strategic success.

“Do all leaders need to exhibit all of these abilities in equal measure?” Jinda asks.

“The authors say all effective leaders must be personally proficient. They must have integrity, they must be trustworthy, and willing to learn. In addition, most people tend to have a predisposition or strength in one of the other areas.

“For example, many frontline leaders have to be skilled executors and talent managers to get things done. But as they reach more senior levels, they must become proficient in all of the areas.”

“How do you evaluate leaders in Thailand according to the code?”

“I classify them in three groups: private-sector, public-sector, and political leaders.

“Private-sector leaders in Thailand are quite strong on self-investment, strategy and vision. They are executors and talent managers. But they’re not that good at human-capital development. There may be two causes: the shortage of strong human capital, and the fact that the leaders are too caught up in their own jobs.

“Public-sector leaders are good executors. But they are not so good at vision, engaging with talent, or developing future leaders and themselves. To give you an example, last year I offered an executive coaching service by waiving a fee of 900,000 baht to coach four senior officers in one ministry. After several meetings, they declined my offer. They said that even though they were interested in it, they did not have time.

“For political leaders, I think the majority are good executors. They are high achievers, but again, many are weak at vision, self-development, engaging with talent, and the worst part, developing future leaders. The majority invest heavily in relationship building and networking.”

“What else have you learned from this book?”

“I haven’t finished it yet. But the authors do propose several practical examples that you can apply in the real world. They also provide several tools and checklists to assess your current level on each rule.”

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