Feb 9
Stop Talking Leadership, It’s Time To Talk Behaviorship
Behaviorship may not be a word you find in Webster’s Dictionary (yet) but drastic times calls for new measures (or in this case new words). With employee disengagement rates at 70%, clearly the current approach to leadership isn’t working. It’s time to stop talking leadership and focus on behavior (starting with our own, then understanding our employees and finally relating to our customers). It’s time to create trust-based relationships that increase morale, productivity and profits. It’s time for BEHAVIORSHIP!
The easiest way to approach behaviorship is to break down the myths about leadership.
Myth – All Things To All People Leadership
It’s not something we admit when searching for a leader but we have ridiculous expectations for those in leadership roles. They need to be charismatic, driven, mentally strong, bold, motivating, influencing, risk takers, transformers, influencers, and visionaries while also being humble, servant leaders who empower others, build consensus, are caring, vulnerable, sensitive to employees, and approachable. Like a Big Foot sighting, people believe they have seen this mythical creature, there are even blurry images of this larger than life character and yet to most this type of leader remains a figment of our imaginations or at the very least difficult to capture. The reality is it is almost impossible to find these conflicting behavioral traits in one individual.
Option – Behaviorship Gives Everyone Ownership
By understanding human behavior, leaders are hired to focus on their natural abilities and leverage less natural responsibilities to others thereby making each individual a leader in their given talent. Notice the focus is not on skill. Skills – HR, finance, marketing, IT – are learned and are how most companies currently divide workforces. When focusing on behaviorship individual responsibilities are divided into behavior segments – tasks, people, slow, fast, internal and external. This approach dismantles the idea of one leader and allows a team of talent to pool their abilities to achieve outcomes faster.
This team behaviorship approach slows turnover and improves engagement. Since the type of leader is determined by the needs of the organization and growing organizations are constantly changing, the behaviorship approach allows the behavioral needs of the company to shift while maintaining continuity of team members.
Myth – Magic Bullet Leadership Training
Most leadership training programs attempt to teach individuals what “to do” as leaders. Leadership is about who you are not what you do, which explains why companies tend to see little benefit from hiring expensive coaching firms to teach leadership. Leadership doesn’t come from feel good events that lack accountability and follow-up. Articles such as One Size Fits All Training Often Ineffective exemplifies the point. Leadership is a muscle that is built over time with consistency.
It’s also important to remember not everyone wants to lead. Looking to promote from within, companies elevate highly skilled individuals in a particular area to lead a team and then inundate him/her with leadership training hoping to make it a fit. Behaviorally speaking it is not natural for some people to lead others. Although training may teach them to adapt, it will remain unnatural, energetically detrimental and lead to job dissatisfaction.
Option – Behaviorship Muscle Is Built Over Time
A focus on behaviorship builds personal growth into the company culture. Behaviorship is a gift to all employees (not just C-level leaders) that helps individuals understand themselves, own their truth about how they show up to serve the company at a higher level. The benefit of behaviorship is regular coaching sessions, (group and individual) focused on self-awareness that improves awareness of colleagues, friends, family and customers. The behaviorship approach also gives employees the freedom to understand and master “their way” over time. It offers short and long-term plans and creates systems for success specifically designed to reach individual goals that serve company outcomes.
Myth – Leadership By Title
Old-school titles (President, CEO, CIO, COO) focus on rank and perceived level of skill in a particular area. Given today’s leadership expectations, exceptional skill doesn’t equate to leadership ability nor does it meet the leadership needs of an organization. Title also promotes a top-down approach to business which prevents upper level management from hearing the thoughts and ideas of lower-level employees. This title based division of employees also results in departments working in silos which contradicts the need to work together to achieve company outcomes.
Option – Behaviorship Entitles Everyone To Lead
Behaviorship offers employees the opportunity to lead themselves and emphasizes being an example for others. It focuses on leadership as a choice, not a rank and removes “that’s not my job” or “it’s not my place” thinking. Employees are grouped according to project or behavioral balance with a focus on ideas and resourcefulness to meet company goals. Behaviorship is collaborative and allows individuals to bring together their unique behavioral gifts for the benefit of the team. It promotes an achievement based system where employees are judged on their work instead of rank.
Leadership as we know it is no longer effective. In this highly competitive global environment companies must take a bold approach to improving engagement and maximizing employee satisfaction. It’s time to talk Behaviorship!
To learn how Behaviorship can transform your company culture contact Laura Treonze (203) 513-9331.
Laura serves as Chief Life Strategist with LMT Consulting, which helps executives and teams create massive success through self-awareness. Her life-changing approach has transformed individuals and families and has redefined the way non-profits and corporations “do” business.
