The Leadership Pipeline

There is much discussion about "leadership" and it comes as no surprise that business leaders now regard the development of leadership attributes in their organisation as the highest priority.

So how can an organization effectively develop leaders to cater for its own future growth?

The answer is by creating a Leadership pipeline that will provide managers and supervisors with the relevant information that will increase their confidence to effectively manage their direct reports on a day-to-day basis.

Leadership Pipeline
Individual Contributor
  • Professional expertize
  • Work well in a team
  • Achieve target goals
  • Collaborate
  • Communicate
  • Follow instructions
Stage 1.

Most important change is recognizing that the overall team performance is more important than your individual performance

Team Leader
  • Manage direct reports
  • Address people issues in a timely manner
  • Hold direct reports accountable
  • Objective decision making
  • Underlying predictability
  • Confidence
Stage 2.

Most important change is recognizing that coaching and mentoring your direct reports is the most important part of the role

Leader of Managers/Supervisors
  • Functional unit managers
  • Responsible for a functional unit and the direct management of mid-level and first time managers and supervisors
  • Requires increased managerial maturity to foster a broad long-term perspective
  • Compete effectively for organizational resources to achieve functional unit outcomes
  • Develop cooperation and teamwork with other functional unit leaders
Stage 3.

Most important change is an increase in strategic thinking that will benefit the entire business

Business Leader
  • Managing strategic issues to support overall business growth
  • Focus on increasing profits and creating a long-term strategic mindset
  • Improve organizational potential by coaching and mentoring all managers and supervisors
  • Stop “doing” all day, and reserve time for reflection and analysis
Stage 4.

Most important change is a near complete move to strategic leadership

Organizational Group Leader
  • Focus on evaluating the best strategies for capital allocation/deployment
  • Provide effective coaching and mentoring of all business leaders
  • Place a high value on the success of other people’s businesses
  • Highly proficient at portfolio strategy
  • Astute at assessing whether they have the right attributes to win
Stage 5.

Most important change is being a long term visionary thinker

Chief Executive Officer
  • Focus on long term vision and develop long term strategies to realize the vision
  • There is a subtle but fundamental shift in responsibility from strategic to visionary thinking
  • Promote innovation and creativity within the organization by supporting risk-taking
  • Priority is to engage and listen to customers and employees
  • There is a far greater focus on “values” than on “skills”
  • Must inspire the entire employee population using all communication means available