Leading for Impact:
Building Future Leaders
Session 5
What is the cost of losing a leader?
Last updated 11/22/16 by K. Kramer
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The path to effective leadership development
consists of five processes
1
2
Engage
senior
leaders
3
Understand
future
needs
4
Develop
future
leaders
5
Hire leaders
externally as
needed
Monitor and
improve
practices
Build culture that supports development
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Question for discussion: What competencies do
your leaders need?
• What are the leadership competencies
(skills, capabilities, experiences) you need
to succeed today?
-What does success at your level of the
organization require? What are the competencies
you value most in your peers?
• Looking 3-5 years out, how might these
change?
-How is the organization’s strategy evolving, and
how might that change what is required for
successful leadership?
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Sample job competencies ….(1/2)
Example: Our House
Job competency
Definition
Technical expertise
Applies and improves extensive or in-depth specialized knowledge, skills, and judgment
to accomplish a result or to accomplish one’s job effectively.
Analytical thinking
Tackles problems using a logical, systematic, sequential approach.
Teamwork/collaboration
Works with others to accomplish a common task; reaches outside functional area to
involve others as needed; steps in to fill a need even if it’s not part of his/her specific job
description. Identifies opportunities and takes action to build strategic relationships with
other teams, departments, units, or organizations to help achieve mission. Develops
networks and builds alliances. Nurtures external partnerships.
Service Focused
Makes customers and their needs a primary focus; develops and sustains productive
customer relationships. Has a service mindset. Responds to communications in a timely
manner (internal and external).
Accountability
Meets agreed-upon job functions and tasks; completes work according to deadlines and
at a high quality.
Workload management
Breaks down larger project into smaller tasks, then sequences and prioritizes them.
Manages his/her workload and understands when to delegate to others; perceives where
s/he needs to own the work and where others can take it on.
Mission Driven
Can communicate what the organization does, how the different programs/departments
work together to achieve the mission, and how his/her individual role contributes to
achieving the mission. Communicates a compelling and inspired vision or sense of core
purpose congruent with OH vision; makes the vision sharable by everyone; can inspire
and motivate entire departments or organization.
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….and sample leadership competencies… (2/2)
Example: Our House
Leadership
competency
Definition
Motivates others
Sets high standards regarding the quality and quantity of work to be done. Appeals to
others’ (both staff and volunteers) unique needs and goals to motivate them to
achieve. Celebrates and energizes others. Helps staff to navigate periods of change.
Emotional intelligence
Is motivated by caring and advocating for others while concurrently keeping the
organizational goals clearly in focus.
Problem solving
Identifies and analyzes problems; weighs relevance and accuracy of information; generates
and evaluates alternative solutions; makes recommendations.
Decision making
Uses data to drive decisions. Makes well-informed, effective, and timely decisions; perceives
the impact and implications of decisions. Establishes good decision-making processes;
understands when to own a decision versus when/how to include others.
People development &
management
Builds and manages workforce based on organizational goals, budget considerations, and
staffing needs. Ensures employees are appropriately recruited, selected, appraised, and
rewarded; takes action to address performance problems.
Communication
Makes clear and convincing oral presentations. Listens effectively. Writes in a clear, concise,
organized, and convincing manner for the intended audience. Communicates frequently and
intentionally. Can articulate OH’s work to internal and external stakeholders.
Initiative/resultsdriven
Holds self and others accountable for measurable high-quality, timely, and cost-effective
results. Demonstrates ambition; is highly motivated; seizes opportunity; pushes self and
others to achieve desired results.
Resilience
Deals effectively with pressure; remains optimistic and persistent, even under adversity.
Recovers quickly from setbacks. Understands that failure is sometimes necessary to facilitate
progress.
Vision/purpose
Knows and understands OH vision. Communicates a compelling and inspired vision or sense
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of core purpose congruent with OH vision; can inspire others.
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Scaled definitions of job and leadership competencies
helps calibrate assessment and foster development
Example: Our House
Job competency
Technical Expertise
Early stage
Proficient
Advanced
• Has general jobspecific knowledge
• Focuses on learning
and improvement
• Performs duties well
with supervision
• Has thorough job
specific knowledge
• Applies knowledge
to accomplish goals
and solve problems
• Performs well with
little day to day
supervision
• Consistently uses
skills to enhance
work environment.
• Provides guidance to
others in areas of
expertise
• Works
independently to
achieve goals
Sample of
scale
definitions
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LOWER
DEMONSTRATED LEADERSHIP
COMPETENCIES
HIGHER
The performance/potential matrix facilitates
assessment on both job performance and leadership
LOWER
DEMONSTRATED JOB
PERFORMANCE
HIGHER
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Performance and potential matrix tool: Exercise
LOWER
DEMONSTRATED LEADERSHIP
COMPETENCIES
HIGHER
Team assignments:
1
4
3
Questions
for on
discussion:
Assignment
the right side
2
LOWER
DEMONSTRATED
JOB PERFORMANCE
- 1: Cornerstones; Interfaith
Works
- 2: JSSA; LAYC
- 3: Pathways; Boystown
- 4: Reading Partners; Higher
Achievement
HIGHER
• What are the primary
development challenges for
individuals in your area of the
matrix?
• What might be their
development priorities?
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DEMONSTRATED LEADERSHIP
COMPETENCIES
HIGHER
In preparation, we asked you to place one of your
direct reports on this matrix…
Caren
LOWER
Reginald
Marcus
LOWER
DEMONSTRATED JOB
PERFORMANCE
HIGHER
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…And to identify 2-3 development goals for this
individual (see EXAMPLE)
Supervisor: Susan Q.
Direct report: Marcus Day
Tenure: 3 years
Job competency to develop
Note: Use your
organization’s list of
job and leadership
competencies
Development goals
Accountability
• Examine your system for establishing priorities and time
management. Increase ability to endure lack of involvement in
direct practice in order to fulfill the duties of a Director.
Judgment and decision-making
• Resist the impulse to react to solutions before examining the
root cause of the problem. Make sure to identify options
before asking for your director’s input.
Interpersonal agility
• Develop a greater awareness of own communication style and
impact on others
Leadership competency to develop
Development goals
(n/a; focus on developing job competencies
for the next year)
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Activity: Discuss your homework in groups of 2-3 from
your team
• Find 1-2 partners from your organization
• Share where you placed your direct report
• Share your reasoning and development goals (using your
worksheet)
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Things to consider when using a performance/potential
matrix as a team
Benefits
• Develops shared
understanding of excellence
• Helps identify common
development needs
• Guides allocation of special
assignments and senior
coaching/mentoring (a scarce
resource!)
• Creates shared accountability
for acting on development
needs
Watchouts
• Essential to establish clear
criteria defining performance
and potential
• Requires regular conversation
with employees about
aspirations and commitment,
as well as ability and
performance
• Must decide if and how to
communicate assessments of
potential with staff
• Beware of potential cultural
biases in tools
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Why is cultural bias a risk in these processes?
“Top jobs are given to those who look and act the part,
who manifest ‘executive presence’...
Yet because senior leaders are overwhelmingly
Caucasian, professionals of color (African-American,
Asian, and Hispanic individuals) find themselves at an
immediate disadvantage in trying to look, sound, and act
like a leader.
And the feedback that might help them do so is markedly
absent at all levels of management.”*
*Source: Harvard Business Review,
“Cracking the Code that Stalls People of Color”
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This process gives you the information to do interim
and long-term succession planning
Position & Name
Position
List direct
reports
Incumbent
Name
Interim
Short-term (<3
mos.)
Replacement
Who can fill in for
the short-term?
Succession Plan
Ready Now
Candidate (s)
Any internal
candidates?
2-3 Years
Candidate (s)
Any internal
candidates?
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3+ Years
Candidates (s)
Any internal
candidates?
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How do we develop?
Reflecting on your own career, what
experience has been most powerful in your
growth as a leader?
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What the research shows about how adults develop
70/20/10
On the
job
Coaching
& mentoring
Formal
training
Source: Center for Creative Leadership
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Self-reflection: Identify a development goal you have
and a feasible 70/20/10 plan
Development Plan
Competency
& development
goals
Experience-based
assignment
(70%)
Who will you ask to
help, and how?
(20%)
Formal training
& self-study
(10%)
1.
1.
1.
2.
2.
3.
Source: Adapted from Developing Cause-Driven Leadership®, Leadership Competency Development Guide, YMCA of the USA
Goals: The ROI of leadership development is about
achieving “more mission with existing resources”
Leadership
Development Goals
S-T: What goals could
you set as a team to
ensure you are putting
in place the right
processes, practices,
and behaviors?
L-T: What goals would
measure progress
toward achieving more
mission with existing
talent?
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The Building Future Leaders project is organized
around five working sessions
Session 1: Kickoff and identify leadership needs
Session 2: Develop competencies and plan communications
Session 3: Conduct talent review
Session 4: Co-create development plans and create
succession plans
Session 5: Set goals and create action plan
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Before Session 1, the leadership team takes a
leadership diagnostic survey
Sample of
survey
results
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At Session 1, we discuss the organization’s current
practices around leadership development
Performance review processes
• What is your timeline of key activities (e.g., review
deadline, frequency?)
• What performance criteria do you use?
Leadership development processes
• What is your current approach to development plans?
• What development supports (e.g., training curricula,
mentoring programs) already exist?
• Do you have succession plans for the CEO and leadership
team positions?
• Does your dashboard include leadership goals/targets?
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…and for Session 2, the team creates scale definitions
of each job and leadership competency
Example: Our House
Job competency
Early stage
Proficient
Advanced
Technical Expertise
• Has general job-specific
knowledge
• Focuses on learning and
improvement
• Performs duties well with
supervision
• Has thorough job specific
knowledge
• Applies knowledge to
accomplish goals and
solve problems
• Performs well with little
day to day supervision
• Consistently uses skills to
enhance work
environment.
• Provides guidance to
others in areas of
expertise
• Works independently to
achieve goals
Analytical Thinking
• Seeks first to understand
the problem
• Seeks guidance to define
priorities, urgency and
importance
• Identifies anomalies in
work and escalates as
needed for resolution
• Gathers, links, and
collates information and
data
• Sequences work with an
understanding of impact
on others
• Anticipates potential
challenges and identifies
solutions
• Establishes clear goals
and priorities
• Initiates research into
challenges and prepares
proposed solutions
• Recognizes and reconciles
discrepancies
• Identifies trends and key
underlying issues in
complex situations
• Translates
information/data in to
management reports
• Utilizes data information
to provide guidance
and/or resolve issues
• Anticipates and thinks
ahead about next steps
Sample of
scale
definitions
(Team did this for all job competencies and all leadership
competencies)
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Focus
DEMONSTRATED LEADERSHIP
COMPETENCIES
BEST
This helps managers think about the development of
their team members
A person who falls here on
the matrix should have
development goals focused
on leadership competencies
B
A person who falls here on
the matrix should have
development goals focused
on job performance
GOOD
A
LOWER
Focus
DEMONSTRATED JOB
PERFORMANCE
HIGHER
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Next, they build on development goals to co-create a
70/20/10 development plan with each direct report
EXAMPLE
Development Plan
Competency
& development goals
Experience-based
assignment
(70%)
Who will you ask to help, and
how?
(20%)
Formal training &
self-study
(10%)
1. Develops and
motivates: Improve
coaching and
delegation to give staff
more responsibility and
enhance their
development
Schedule regular
coaching/supervision
sessions with direct reports
Schedule regular
feedback/coaching sessions
with CEO
Attend Executive
Leadership Forum at
national conference
2. Manages with data:
Be able to answer
sophisticated questions
around financials; be
able to understand
trends
Sit in on audit committee
meetings
CFO will coach/mentor (by
providing feedback on drafted
responses, answering
questions, etc.)
Take 4-month course
at GCN to get
Certificate of
Nonprofit Finance
and Accounting
3. Job
knowledge/capabilities/
skills: Learn from the
fundraising activities of
similar nonprofits,
especially related to
event
Visit major event done by a
peer organization to see how
they put on their event and
seek approaches that we
could adopt
Seek out colleagues in similar
roles at 1-2 other nonprofits
with similar missions;
interview them about their
approaches to fundraising
and events
n/a, but will spend
time drafting
implications for our
organization
Draft responses to financial
questions and have CFO
review (rather than
forwarding questions to CFO)
Source: Adapted from Developing Cause-Driven Leadership®, Leadership Competency Development Guide, YMCA of the USA
At Session 4 (after 70/20/10 plans are complete), we
identify common development needs across staff…
Chart to identify common areas of development
Competency
Associate Director of
Development
Grantwriter A
Grantwriter B
Job-Related:
Technical expertise
Analytical thinking
Teamwork/collaboration
Service focused
Accountability
Workload management
New to job; still learning
Seek help before spinning
wheels for so long
Respond to emails in a more
timely manner
Adjust and adapt workplan as org
needs change
Further develop workplanning
skills
Prioritize the most important
work
Mission Driven
Leadership:
Decision-making
People development
Use data to drive decisions
Communication
Continue to develop public
speaking skills
Seek ways to develop the new
grantwriter
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At Session 5—the final session—we establish an annual
timeline for a development-focused process…
EXAMPLE
Step
Description
Timing
(1) Understand strategic
priorities
• Review and update plan and
priorities for next 3+ years
• March/April
(2) Identify future
leadership needs
• To achieve priorities, outline any
new leadership needs required
(revisit from prior year)
• March/April
(3) Assess and calibrate
staff
• Managers assess the performance
and potential of their direct reports;
meet to calibrate assessment &
discuss development
• May
(4) Co-create
development plans
• Managers meet individually with
direct reports to discuss feedback
and co-create development plans
• June
(5) Update succession
plan
• Review portfolio and update shortterm succession plans
• July/August
(6) Check-in
• Managers conduct mid-cycle checkins with their direct reports; discuss
feedback & revise development
plans
• December
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…and make an action plan for completing
implementation and cascading processes to all staff
EXAMPLE
Action step
Timing
Responsibility
Finish co-creating 70/20/10 plans with direct reports
By 7/31/16
Senior team
Create succession plan for senior team positions and other
positions that are supervisory
By 7/31/16
Senior team
Identify common development needs across senior team direct
reports and make a plan to address
By 7/31/16
Senior team
Do final sign-off of job and leadership competencies; add teacherspecific competencies
By 8/1/16
CEO
Revise assessment forms to reflect competencies
By 8/1/16
CEO
Introduce new assessment form during Staff Development Week
August 2016
CPO
Provide training re: new assessment and development processes
January 2017
CPO
Find other opportunities to communicate revised processes and
tools to staff
Ongoing
Senior team
Org-wide assessments
May 2017
All supervisors
All supervisors co-create 70/20/10 development plans with direct
reports
June 2017
All supervisors
All supervisors create/update succession plans
July/August 2017
All supervisors
All supervisors do development plan check-ins with direct reports
Every quarter,
ongoing
All supervisors
Senior team finish process with direct reports
Complete tools/documents needed
Roll-out process within Our House
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Find session materials and related tools on-line at:
www.bridgespan.org/LFIresources
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