They don’t understand me… isn’t it obvious?
Have you ever asked yourself why your team sometimes doesn’t seem to know what you’re talking about? In your head you’re being clear, precise and considered – but confused stares and constant questions make you wonder whether you’re speaking another language.
Perhaps, in a way, you are: because if you haven’t established a shared language of leadership, or built up clarity in communication, there’s a chance you and your team aren’t even working from the same book, let alone the same page!
Coming to a collective understanding
Since your team won’t share your personal experiences and thought processes, it’s highly likely they won’t share your definitions either. That is why a shared language around leadership is critical. I am not talking about a glossary but some precise descriptors that align to your context, that can be expressed, quickly understood and adopted by leaders to convey how things look to them in their school or organisation.
Instead of relying on assumptions, a team thrives when everyone works from a clear and mutually defined framework. Leaders can move on from ‘guess what is in my head’ when they work with teams to define with precision what is in their ‘collective heads’. For instance, when we say ‘empathy’, what does that mean in practice? What does it look like for all of us, in our school or setting?
Co-creating a shared leadership framework
Sounds easy? It’s not. A shared language should be yours, yes, but also evidence-based. It should be aspirational and precise – not just ‘pleasing’. It needs to be written in a way that leaders can identify, see themselves and see in their schools. Something that enables, not frustrates.
After decades of designing leadership frameworks for teams around the globe, I have developed the Enabling Leaders model, which co-constructs bespoke frameworks with leaders, enabling each to reflect their unique identity, and a shared understanding of what we really mean by Leader and Leading for their context. Part of this work involves identifying key components for each.
The components of leadership
The make-up of leadership is complex, but we need to distill it if we are going to deepen leadership development. And while facets of leadership do not always sit neatly in distinct lists, we can use an iterative process, collective wisdom and external stimuli to break things down.
I have seen and heard many reasons why numerous components are needed to define leadership, but from my research and experience I say finding just 10 key components works: that’s five on Leading and five on Leader.
Why 10? Too many is too difficult for leaders to really grapple with; any less makes the exercise meaningless. With 10 we can be strategic about what’s important.
Ask yourself this question: If you were to advertise for the perfect leader to join your school, what qualities and actions would you list in the job description? In other words, what would you be asking your leaders to be and do?
This will form the foundations for Leading and Leader.
Now what? Enabling real-world impact
Once we’ve distilled leadership into components, what next? At this point we need broader definitions: a shared set of criteria to say exactly what we mean. And this can’t just be a tick list of dreams or waffle. Every word matters. Think high bar, accessible and – most importantly – meaningfully impactful.
Writing frameworks as ‘high bar’ is a core part of the learning process here, with a focus on the aspirational (not the impossible). After all, who wants to strive to be average?
Establishing a leadership framework and a shared language is one thing. Knowing where you are and where you are aiming for is another. How confident do you feel working within your co-constructed set of criteria? How can you be sure it’s going to plan? All can be unpacked with a Precise Professional Conversation (PPC). More on that in next month’s blog.
Join the leadership (r)evolution
Hundreds of leaders and schools are already transforming their approach to leadership with Enabling Leaders through evidence-based frameworks and shared language, co-creating tools to foster alignment, clarity and high-performance cultures.
Ready to start your journey? Contact us today to learn how we can help your team develop a bespoke leadership framework that’s fully tailored to you and your organisation.
