by Michael Holland
Assessing the impact of an organization’s leadership reveals an odd, almost indescribable foggy, murky blob of an answer. We can plot out a nifty graph that shows the maturity of leaders based on facts about time in the role, education, depth and breadth of assignments, success of attaining metrics, employee retention, performance, etc. More difficult though is the calculation of leadership wisdom defined as what leaders gained from their experiences, which they in turn translate into better leadership in the future. Further, if we could accumulate the valuable buckets of leadership wisdom across the organization, would we then have a true measure of the real maturity of the leadership asset with the organization?
We believe, and studies have shown, there is this appreciating – or depreciating – asset of leadership. We also believe and know that wise leaders at any level in an organization have an amplified positive impact on employee engagement. Therefore, if we increase this wisdom, we likely increase the value of our asset and, conversely, if the wisdom decreases then the value of the asset likely decreases.
So, maybe the real concern should center on understanding the opportunity cost we incur with regard to the size of the leadership capacity gap. That gap would be the difference in value of the leadership asset today and the value at full capacity.
Coaching Thoughts – For You and Your Peers
What if we could leverage 8% or 10% more of the nebulous leadership capacity, resulting in leaders being wiser, thereby engaging employees more deeply who then passionately impact customers. How might your bottom line be impacted?
