Leadership Competency Wk 3 Discussion 1
Defining Leadership Code
Five Rules of Effective Leadership
E x c e r p t e d f r o m
The Leadership Code: Five Rules to Lead By
B y
Dave Ulrich, Norm Smallwood, and Kate Sweetman
Buy the book: Amazon
Barnes & Noble HarvardBusiness.org
Harvard Business Press Boston, Massachusetts
ISBN-13: 978-1-4221-3920-2
3921BC
This document is authorized for use only by Tylecia Westbrook in WMBA-6000-3/MMSL-6000-3/MGMT-6000-3/WMBA-6000B-3-Dynamic Leadership2021 Spring Sem 01/11-05/02-PT2 at Laureate Education - Walden University, 2021.
Copyright 2008 Harvard Business School Publishing Corporation All rights reserved
Printed in the United States of America
This chapter was originally published as chapter 1 of The Leadership Code: Five Rules to Lead By, copyright 2008 Dave Ulrich, Norm Smallwood, Kate Sweetman.
No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form, or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise), without the prior permission of the publisher. Requests for
permission should be directed to [email protected], or mailed to Permissions, Harvard Business School Publishing, 60 Harvard Way, Boston, Massachusetts 02163.
You can purchase Harvard Business Press books at booksellers worldwide.You can order Harvard Business Press books and book chapters online at www.harvardbusiness.org/press,
or by calling 888-500-1016 or, outside the U.S. and Canada, 617-783-7410.
This document is authorized for use only by Tylecia Westbrook in WMBA-6000-3/MMSL-6000-3/MGMT-6000-3/WMBA-6000B-3-Dynamic Leadership2021 Spring Sem 01/11-05/02-PT2 at Laureate Education - Walden University, 2021.
o n e
Defining
Leadership Code
n o o n e d i s p u t e s that leadership matters. We recog-
nize good leadership firsthand when a leader we admire
inspires, excites, engages, or even leaves us. Beyond our
personal awareness, research has shown that the quality of
leadership helps meet the expectations of investors, cus-
tomers, and employees. While we can stipulate that
leadership matters and that we know it when we
encounter it, it is much more difficult to find the elusive
answer to the simple question, “What makes an effective
leader?” In study after study about what CEOs worry
about, a chronically important topic is how to develop the
next generation of effective leaders.
This document is authorized for use only by Tylecia Westbrook in WMBA-6000-3/MMSL-6000-3/MGMT-6000-3/WMBA-6000B-3-Dynamic Leadership2021 Spring Sem 01/11-05/02-PT2 at Laureate Education - Walden University, 2021.
2 The Leadership Code
This book attempts to do the improbable, if not the
impossible. In a brief and clear way, we want to synthesize
large numbers of frameworks, tools, processes, and studies
of leadership to identify the essential rules that govern what
all great leaders do. The challenge of synthesizing this
amorphous and enormous body of knowledge is not easy,
but it is important. Defining the essential rules of leadership
serves two purposes: we want to help leaders be better lead-
ers themselves and simultaneously help those charged with
building better leadership in their organizations.
Being an effective leader starts with the self. If you
want to build leadership in your company, you need to
model what you want others to know and do. When you
can clearly declare what makes an effective leader and then
model that behavior, your employees will have clear
expectations of what they should know and do, your cus-
tomers will be delighted to do business with you, investors
will have more confidence in the intangible value of your
company, and you can make wise investments in finding
and developing future leaders.
Being an effective leader requires that you help others
to lead. Leaders succeed by enabling others to do the right
work right. Modeling the rules of leadership ensures that
you lead well, but helping others master those rules guar-
antees future success. When we know and follow the
leadership rules, we lead well; when we help others learn
This document is authorized for use only by Tylecia Westbrook in WMBA-6000-3/MMSL-6000-3/MGMT-6000-3/WMBA-6000B-3-Dynamic Leadership2021 Spring Sem 01/11-05/02-PT2 at Laureate Education - Walden University, 2021.
Defining Leadership Code 3
and follow those rules, we expand leadership from a per-
sonal ability into an organization capability.
The leadership rules we propose in this work offer a
unified way of thinking about being a better leader and being
a better leader. We have examined the broad field, talked
in depth with the smartest leadership people we know,
and passed all that information through the screen of our
own collective hundred years of experience in the field.
Through that process, we have discovered and validated
what we now know to be the five essential rules all excel-
lent leaders must follow. Since these rules form the basis
for all good leaders just as our genetic code determines our
elemental core as people, we call it the leadership code.
This leadership code, like any other code, provides both
structure and guidance, and helps you know not only what
to do to be a better individual leader, but also how to build
better leadership capability. Some leaders seem born to the
code, others need to learn it, but it is the sine qua non of
effective leadership. The code also avoids the trap of
emphasizing one element of leadership over others. For
example, when we ask thoughtful participants in programs
where we teach, “What makes an effective leader?” we
often get a long list of outstanding ideas. Some focus on
the importance of having a vision for the future; others
on executing in the present; others on personal charisma
or character; others on engaging people; and others on
This document is authorized for use only by Tylecia Westbrook in WMBA-6000-3/MMSL-6000-3/MGMT-6000-3/WMBA-6000B-3-Dynamic Leadership2021 Spring Sem 01/11-05/02-PT2 at Laureate Education - Walden University, 2021.
4 The Leadership Code
building long-term organizations. Shopping lists of leader-
ship attributes are useful, but they may distort the funda-
mentals of effective leadership. Purchasing food on a whim
from a last-minute shopping list may not lead to healthy
eating across all four food groups. The four food groups
offer a decision architecture that ensures balance in pur-
chasing food and healthy eating—if the framework is fol-
lowed. Having a leadership code that captures the entire
domain of what makes an effective leader helps leaders
avoid fads and quick fixes that offer the illusion of true
leadership but, like snack foods, fail to sustain success.
So, we do not disagree with most of the current hot
topics that entice leaders. We agree that leaders need to
have innovative (e.g., blue ocean) strategies, forge long-
term relationships with customers, innovate, execute, build
high-performing teams, ensure accountability, manage
people, communicate, engage others, create workforce
plans, exercise judgment, have emotional intelligence, and
possess an honorable character. Any one of these topics
deserves (and has received) extensive research, thinking,
and practice. What we offer in this book is a synthesis of
these ideas, a way to cover the landscape of leadership so
that we see the whole of what makes an effective leader,
not just one of the parts.
We characterize the leadership code as a set of five
rules. Rules lay out how a game is played; they suggest
This document is authorized for use only by Tylecia Westbrook in WMBA-6000-3/MMSL-6000-3/MGMT-6000-3/WMBA-6000B-3-Dynamic Leadership2021 Spring Sem 01/11-05/02-PT2 at Laureate Education - Walden University, 2021.
Defining Leadership Code 5
the basic elements of any endeavor. Knowing the rules
enables you to adapt your behavior and succeed. In
sports, rules determine the type of talent and game plan
that teams adopt. In writing, rules shape the use of
language to communicate. In politics, rules often establish
who wins and loses. In driving, rules ensure safety and
fluidity. In leadership, rules resolve what makes an effec-
tive leader.
HOW WE DISCOVERED THE
LEADERSHIP CODE
In our efforts to arrive at the core rules of leadership, we
decided to rely not only on our experiences, but also to
mine a vast, well-researched body of knowledge painstak-
ingly accumulated by multiple generations of leadership
experts and organizational behavior theorists. In a brief
and clear way, we wanted to synthesize the existing frame-
works, tools, processes, and studies of leadership to define
the rules that all great leaders follow. To streamline our
efforts, we “socially networked” our way through the
ranks of many of the most recognized leaders in the field
of leadership today and did considerable reading, thinking,
debating, and writing ourselves. Our goal: to identify an
underlying framework of knowledge, skills, and values
common to all effective leaders.
This document is authorized for use only by Tylecia Westbrook in WMBA-6000-3/MMSL-6000-3/MGMT-6000-3/WMBA-6000B-3-Dynamic Leadership2021 Spring Sem 01/11-05/02-PT2 at Laureate Education - Walden University, 2021.
6 The Leadership Code
In our work, we found that the state of the art of
leadership has evolved over time, each new stage building
at least in part on its predecessors. A brief history of mod-
ern attempts to understand leadership may help you to put
this conclusion in perspective. Interestingly, as we orga-
nized this history, we realized that the six key questions
that any journalist asks to uncover the full story have been
asked and thoroughly investigated over the past few
decades: who, what, when, where, why, and how. To
these questions was added a seventh: for whom?
• Physical traits: Who is a leader? Remember
when all leaders were supposed to be tall and
authoritative, with a firm handshake and a
steady gaze? Leadership theorists sought a core
set of leadership traits according to height,
gender, heritage, and speaking style—to no
avail. Successful leaders could have a variety
of backgrounds as well as physical and
personality traits.
• Style: How do you behave as a leader? “Take care”
or “take charge”? Leadership theorists sought to
characterize a leader by style, often a trade-off
between people and task. Generally, leaders
exhibited a preferred style, but the best leaders
could be both soft and hard, caring about people
This document is authorized for use only by Tylecia Westbrook in WMBA-6000-3/MMSL-6000-3/MGMT-6000-3/WMBA-6000B-3-Dynamic Leadership2021 Spring Sem 01/11-05/02-PT2 at Laureate Education - Walden University, 2021.
Defining Leadership Code 7
and managing tasks. Leaders were given number
rankings (1–9; 9–1; 9–9) to capture their tendency
to focus on people or tasks.
• Situation: When and where do you focus on the
person or the task? At this stage, the answer to
the leadership question is: “It depends.” Leadership
theorists realized that the appropriate leadership
style depended on understanding the particulars
of the situation.
• Competencies: What exactly do leaders know
and do? Leadership theorists attempted to identify
the core competencies, or knowledge, skills, and
values of successful leaders.1 Competencies were
identified by what leaders said and did and were
often tailored to not only the situation but to
the business strategy. The world is awash in
competency models.
• Results: Why does leadership matter? More
recently, the focus has shifted to the truth that
without results, competencies don’t matter.2
Leadership is about getting the right results in
the right way. Leaders who can achieve a balanced
scorecard of employee, customer, investor, and
organization results will more likely succeed.
This document is authorized for use only by Tylecia Westbrook in WMBA-6000-3/MMSL-6000-3/MGMT-6000-3/WMBA-6000B-3-Dynamic Leadership2021 Spring Sem 01/11-05/02-PT2 at Laureate Education - Walden University, 2021.
8 The Leadership Code
• Brand: For whom are you leading? Students of
leadership now realize that leadership is linking
the external identity of the firm (its brand) with
the internal culture. Leaders ensure that the
behaviors of employees reflect the leadership
brand.
We believe it is time to synthesize decades of empiri-
cal research and theorizing about leadership. Faced with
half a million books on leaders and leadership, we turned
to recognized experts in the field who had already spent
years sifting through the evidence and developing their
own theories. These thought leaders had each pub-
lished a theory of leadership based on a long history of
leadership research and empirical assessment of what
makes effective leadership. Collectively, they have written
over fifty books on leadership and performed well over
2 million leadership 360s. They are the thought leaders of
this field.3
In our discussions with them, as well as our reading
and analysis, we constantly returned to two basic sets of
questions:
1. What percent of effective leadership is basically
the same? Are there some common rules that
any leader anywhere must master? Is there a
recognizeable leadership code?
This document is authorized for use only by Tylecia Westbrook in WMBA-6000-3/MMSL-6000-3/MGMT-6000-3/WMBA-6000B-3-Dynamic Leadership2021 Spring Sem 01/11-05/02-PT2 at Laureate Education - Walden University, 2021.
Defining Leadership Code 9
2. If there are common rules that all leaders must
master, what are they?
The questions are simple, but the answers are elusive. In
answering the first questions, experts varied—estimating
that somewhere in the range of 50 to 85 percent of
leadership characteristics were shared across all effective
leaders. The range is fairly broad, to be sure, but blessedly
consistent. As one of our interviews put it: “I think . . . that
85 percent of the competencies in various competency
models appear to be the same. I think we have a rela-
tively good handle on the necessary competencies for
a leader to possess in order to be effective.” Then the
expert added something of equally great significance: “But
there are some other variables that competency models do
not account for. [Among] the variables that I think we
don’t account for include . . . the leader’s personal situation
(family pressures, economics, competition, social, etc.);
[and] internal influences, such as health, energy, vitality,
resilience; the intensity of effort the individual is willing to
put forth, ambition and drive, willingness to sacrifice.”4
Answers like these encouraged us to pursue developing
a framework. From the body of interviews we conducted,
we concluded that 60 to 70 percent of leadership effec-
tiveness would be contained in the leadership code if we
could crack it. Synthesizing the data, the interviews, and
This document is authorized for use only by Tylecia Westbrook in WMBA-6000-3/MMSL-6000-3/MGMT-6000-3/WMBA-6000B-3-Dynamic Leadership2021 Spring Sem 01/11-05/02-PT2 at Laureate Education - Walden University, 2021.
10 The Leadership Code
our own research and experience, we saw a pattern that
organizes the leadership code into a single framework that
we believe is accurate, logical, and useful.
An analogy guided our thinking. How different is the
hybrid Toyota Prius from the Ford F-150 truck? If you are
like most people, you likely view the two vehicles as being
very different from each other. Perhaps even opposites.
The eco-friendly Prius appeals to people interested in
shrinking their personal carbon footprint while still get-
ting about. The massive and sturdy F-150, on the other
hand, is a perfect vehicle for people who equate driving
with personal freedom and who highly value the pure
pleasure of owning the open road. You may love to drive
one and not want to be caught dead in the other, believ-
ing them to be very different species.
But are they really? Underneath the obvious external
characteristics, they share more in common than they dif-
fer. First of all, they are both forms of individual (versus
mass) transportation. They both get you where you need
to go. They each do that by sharing an important set
of core elements: drive train, crankshaft, engine, brakes,
wipers, blades, and batteries. In fact, when you add it
up, the degree to which any two cars share fundamental
similarities is much greater than their differences.
As we listened to leadership experts, we felt that the
same logic would apply. Does an effective leader at, say,
This document is authorized for use only by Tylecia Westbrook in WMBA-6000-3/MMSL-6000-3/MGMT-6000-3/WMBA-6000B-3-Dynamic Leadership2021 Spring Sem 01/11-05/02-PT2 at Laureate Education - Walden University, 2021.
Defining Leadership Code 11
Starbucks or Whole Foods in any way resemble an effec-
tive leader at ExxonMobil? Does an effective leader in a
bootstrapping NGO in any way resemble an effective
leader at the famously bureaucratic United Nations?
Does an effective leader in an emerging market resemble
an effective leader in a mature market? Does an effective
leader in organized crime in any way resemble an effec-
tive leader in organized religion? Does an effective leader
in a Swiss pharmaceutical company share any underlying
characteristics with an effective leader in MoveOn.org?
Does an effective leader at Nokia resemble an effective
leader at Verizon?
Consider the following tale of two brothers. In the city
of Boston, two brothers grew up together in the same
household—Billy Bulger and Whitey Bulger. They defi-
nitely share a leadership gene, or a leadership learning
environment, or both. However, Billy grew up to be the
head of the university system for the state of Massachu-
setts, while Whitey grew up to be the very powerful and
notorious head of the local Irish mafia. Both are leaders,
each with his talents quite differently applied, and each
could be called “successful” in his own pursuit (until that
informant . . . ).
As we worked with these leadership experts and
reviewed the extensive work on leadership, we concluded
that leadership comprises two principle parts: one part the
This document is authorized for use only by Tylecia Westbrook in WMBA-6000-3/MMSL-6000-3/MGMT-6000-3/WMBA-6000B-3-Dynamic Leadership2021 Spring Sem 01/11-05/02-PT2 at Laureate Education - Walden University, 2021.
12 The Leadership Code
leadership code and the other the differentiators. The code
represents about 60 to 70 percent of what makes an effec-
tive leader. It represents the basics, the fundamentals, or
the essentials of leadership. The differentiators may vary
by firm strategy and vision and by individual job require-
ments. Mastering the code becomes the foundation on
which effective leadership is established.
LEADERSHIP CODE:
TIME, FOCUS, AND SELF
Based on our observations and inputs from the thought
leaders, we suggest that leadership code maps against two
dimensions, time and attention, and is supported by the
strength of the individual leader. Why time? Because
effective leaders are able to think and act both in the short
term and for the long term. Effective leaders project into
the future and define a context in which their organiza-
tion and their people will succeed. Depending on the
need, that projection may take the form of a vision, intent,
purpose, mission, strategy, goal, objective, or plan. In all
of these cases, leaders create a credible and hopeful
image of a future for everyone who needs to invest
financially, intellectually, physically, or emotionally in the
organization, from financial markets to shareholders to
customers to employees to potential hires. They also
This document is authorized for use only by Tylecia Westbrook in WMBA-6000-3/MMSL-6000-3/MGMT-6000-3/WMBA-6000B-3-Dynamic Leadership2021 Spring Sem 01/11-05/02-PT2 at Laureate Education - Walden University, 2021.
Defining Leadership Code 13
connect the future to the present by turning aspirations
into actions.
What do we mean by attention? Effective leaders gauge
when their focus needs to be on architecting the organi-
zation and its capabilities, and when it needs to shift to
individuals and their abilities. They are also able to
connect the two to each other. Sometimes leaders focus
on individual talent and surround themselves with gifted
individual contributors. But all-star teams would not often
beat a high-performing team, and leaders need to meld
individual talents into successful organization capabilities.
In terms of self, leaders must model what they want
others to master. Leadership of others ultimately begins
with the self. Individuals who govern themselves will be
more able to lead others. There is a vast array of self-
leadership requirements, which we called personal proficiency
because an individual leader needs to become highly
proficient in these personal requirements. Without per-
sonal proficiency, it is not possible to keep the other
dimensions in balance. The juggling act is simply too
difficult for someone who is not personally strong, aware,
and centered.
In an effort to create a useful visual, we have mapped out
two dimensions (time and focus) and placed what we are
calling personal proficiency (self-management) at the center
as an underlying support for the other two. Figure 1-1
This document is authorized for use only by Tylecia Westbrook in WMBA-6000-3/MMSL-6000-3/MGMT-6000-3/WMBA-6000B-3-Dynamic Leadership2021 Spring Sem 01/11-05/02-PT2 at Laureate Education - Walden University, 2021.
14 The Leadership Code
Long-term strategic
Individual Organization
Personal proficiency
Rule 5: Invest in yourself
Strategist
Rule 1: Shape the future
Executor
Rule 2: Make things happen
Talent manager
Rule 3: Engage today’s talent
Human capital developer
Rule 4: Build the next generation
Near-term operational
F I G U R E 1 - 1
The leadership code
synthesizes the leadership code and captures the five rules of
leadership.
Rule 1: Shape the Future. This rule is embodied in the
strategist dimension of the leader. Strategists answer the
question, “Where are we going?” and make sure that
those around them understand the direction as well. They
not only envision, but can create a future. As practical
futurists, they figure out where the organization needs to
go to succeed, they test these ideas pragmatically against
current resources (money, people, organizational capabili-
ties), and they work with others to figure out how to get
from the present to the desired future. Strategists have a
point of view about the future and are able to position
This document is authorized for use only by Tylecia Westbrook in WMBA-6000-3/MMSL-6000-3/MGMT-6000-3/WMBA-6000B-3-Dynamic Leadership2021 Spring Sem 01/11-05/02-PT2 at Laureate Education - Walden University, 2021.
Defining Leadership Code 15
their organization to create and respond to that future.
The rules for strategists are about creating, defining, and
delivering principles of what can be.
Rule 2: Make Things Happen. Turn what you know
into what you do. The executor dimension of the leader
focuses on the question, “How will we make sure we
get to where we are going?” Executors translate strategy
into action. Executors understand how to make change
happen, to assign accountability, to know which key
decisions to take and which to delegate, and to make sure
that teams work well together. They keep promises to
multiple stakeholders. Executors make things happen, and
put the systems in place for others to do the same. The
rules for executors revolve around disciplines for getting
things done.
Rule 3: Engage Today’s Talent. Leaders who optimize
talent today answer the question, “Who goes with us on
our business journey?” Talent managers know how to iden-
tify, build, and engage talent to get results now. Talent
managers identify what skills are required, draw talent to
their organizations, develop people, engage them, and
ensure that employees turn in their best efforts. Talent
managers generate intense personal, professional, and
organizational loyalty. The rules for talent managers center
This document is authorized for use only by Tylecia Westbrook in WMBA-6000-3/MMSL-6000-3/MGMT-6000-3/WMBA-6000B-3-Dynamic Leadership2021 Spring Sem 01/11-05/02-PT2 at Laureate Education - Walden University, 2021.
16 The Leadership Code
around resolutions that help people develop themselves for
the good of the organization.
Rule 4: Build the Next Generation. Leaders who are
human capital developers answer the question, “Who stays
and sustains the organization for the next generation?”
Talent managers ensure shorter-term results through
people, while human capital developers ensure that the
organization has the longer-term competencies required for
future strategic success. Just as good parents invest in help-
ing their children succeed, human capital developers help
future leaders to be successful. Human capital developers
throughout the organization build a workforce plan focused
on future talent, understand how to develop the future
talent, and help employees see their future careers within
the company. Human capital developers ensure that the
organization will outlive any single individual. Human
capital developers install rules that demonstrate a pledge to
building the next generation of talent.
We found in our work that most individuals have pre-
dispositions to one of these four roles. Some enjoy living
in the abstract and future world of strategy; others in the
concrete and actionable execution space; others are com-
fortable with the social setting required of talent; and
others are gifted at developing future talent. We also found
that as leaders move up the organization into more senior
This document is authorized for use only by Tylecia Westbrook in WMBA-6000-3/MMSL-6000-3/MGMT-6000-3/WMBA-6000B-3-Dynamic Leadership2021 Spring Sem 01/11-05/02-PT2 at Laureate Education - Walden University, 2021.
Defining Leadership Code 17
roles, they need to expand out from their predisposition
and learn to successfully master the rules to play all four
roles. This book offers specific actions that leaders can
master in each of the four roles so that even if the role
does not come naturally, it can be learned.
Rule 5: Invest in Yourself. At the heart of the leadership
code—literally and figuratively—is personal proficiency.
Effective leaders cannot be reduced to what they know
and do. Who they are as human beings has everything to
do with how much they can accomplish with and through
other people. To distinguish between what one does—
even with excellence—and who one is, consider the
following passage from Matthieu Ricard in his book
Happiness:
The striking individuals with whom I’d crossed paths
each had his or her own special genius. I’d have liked
to play piano like Glenn Gould, or chess like Bobby
Fischer, to have Baudelaire’s poetic gift, but I did not feel
inspired to become what they were at the human level.
Despite their artistic, scientific, and intellectual qualities,
when it came to altruism, openness to the world, resolve,
and joie de vivre, their ability was neither better nor
worse than that of any of us . . . I was inspired through
my readings of great figures like Martin Luther King, Jr.,
This document is authorized for use only by Tylecia Westbrook in WMBA-6000-3/MMSL-6000-3/MGMT-6000-3/WMBA-6000B-3-Dynamic Leadership2021 Spring Sem 01/11-05/02-PT2 at Laureate Education - Walden University, 2021.
18 The Leadership Code
and Mohandas Gandhi, who by sheer strength of their
human qualities were able to inspire others to change
their way of being.5
Leaders are learners: from success, failure, assignments,
books, classes, people, and life itself. Passionate about their
beliefs and interests, they expend enormous personal
energy and attention on whatever matters to them. Effec-
tive leaders inspire loyalty and goodwill in others because
they themselves act with integrity and trust. Decisive and
impassioned, they are capable of bold and courageous
moves. Confident in their ability to deal with situations as
they arise, they can tolerate ambiguity. Think of the
steadfastness of Winston Churchill or Nelson Mandela or
Aung San Suu Kyi persevering in the face of certain
danger, and probable disaster. Leaders who demonstrate
personal proficiency follow rules about developing and
increasing personal insight so that they model the change
they want to see in others.
In the last few years, we have worked with these five
rules of leadership. As a result, we can make some sum-
mary observations.
• All leaders must excel at personal proficiency.
Without the foundation of trust and credibility,
you cannot ask others to follow you. While
This document is authorized for use only by Tylecia Westbrook in WMBA-6000-3/MMSL-6000-3/MGMT-6000-3/WMBA-6000B-3-Dynamic Leadership2021 Spring Sem 01/11-05/02-PT2 at Laureate Education - Walden University, 2021.
Defining Leadership Code 19
individuals may have different styles (introvert
versus extrovert, intuitive versus sensing, etc.),
any individual leader must be seen as having
personal proficiency to engage followers.
• All leaders must have one towering strength. Most
successful leaders excel in at least one of the
other four roles. Most are personally predisposed
to one of the four areas. These are the signature
strengths of your leaders.
• All leaders must be at least average in their
“weaker” leadership domains.
• The higher up the organization that the leader
rises, the more he or she needs to develop
excellence in more than one of the four domains.
LEADERSHIP CODE: MAKING IT
REAL FOR YOU AND YOUR
ORGANIZATION
If you want to be a better leader or build more effective
leadership in your organization, you need to learn these five
rules of leadership. As an individual leader, some of these
rules will come naturally; some will have to be learned.
Each person’s leadership will look and feel somewhat
This document is authorized for use only by Tylecia Westbrook in WMBA-6000-3/MMSL-6000-3/MGMT-6000-3/WMBA-6000B-3-Dynamic Leadership2021 Spring Sem 01/11-05/02-PT2 at Laureate Education - Walden University, 2021.
20 The Leadership Code
different, based on personality as well as more external
circumstances (position, job level, industry, company cul-
ture). That said, every leader must master the fundamen-
tals. Without owning these basics, an individual cannot
lead and CEOs cannot invest in future leaders because
they won’t know what they are looking for.
You may ask yourself which of the five rules come
more naturally to you. Where do you enjoy spending
time? What work comes more easily? What work ener-
gizes you? Knowing your predisposition enables you to
develop a signature leadership strength. It also focuses your
attention on what you must learn to progress in becoming
a more effective leader. If you are strong as a strategist, you
may need to pay particular attention to the rules for talent
management, execution, and human capital development.
A simple personal exercise is to take the abbreviated
leadership code survey find out your predispositions
(assessment 1-1). To be more informed, you may want to
solicit feedback from others on how they see you and
compare yourself with others’ national scores.
At a company level, we have used the leadership code
template to track if the organization has the right com-
petency model. Often when we place a company’s seven
to twelve competencies into the five rules, we find that
the model is unbalanced. One company identified twelve
competencies it wanted its leaders to demonstrate, then
This document is authorized for use only by Tylecia Westbrook in WMBA-6000-3/MMSL-6000-3/MGMT-6000-3/WMBA-6000B-3-Dynamic Leadership2021 Spring Sem 01/11-05/02-PT2 at Laureate Education - Walden University, 2021.
Defining Leadership Code 21
Strategist
I have a point of view about the future .……........................... 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
I create a customercentric view of strategy ………................. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
I engage my organization in developing strategy …................ 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
I create strategic traction in my organization …...............…... 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Executor
(Strategist Total) ____ � 4 � ____
I make change happen ……….........................................….... 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
I follow a decision protocol ……….......................................... 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
I ensure accountability ……....….....................................….... 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
I build teams ………........................................…................…. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
I ensure technical proficiency ……...........................….......…. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Talent manager
(Executor Total)____� 5 � ____
I communicate effectively ……................................................ 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
I create aligned direction ……..................................................1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
I strengthen competency in my organization .....................…. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
I resource to cope with demands …….................................... 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
I create a positive work environment ……............................... 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
(Talent Manager Total)____� 5 � ____
For the first four domains of the leadership code, or the action domains, identify which domain had the highest average score. This is your area of strength in the leadership code.
If you scored 3 or lower on any of the items in the personal proficiency domain, identify how you might build your competency in this area to ensure sustained leadership effectiveness.
Scale: 1�Low 10�High
A S S E S S M E N T 1 - 1
Leadership code self-assessment
This document is authorized for use only by Tylecia Westbrook in WMBA-6000-3/MMSL-6000-3/MGMT-6000-3/WMBA-6000B-3-Dynamic Leadership2021 Spring Sem 01/11-05/02-PT2 at Laureate Education - Walden University, 2021.
22 The Leadership Code
built a leadership 360, training, and compensation sys-
tems to encourage these twelve competencies. When we
matched these competencies to the five rules, eleven of
the twelve were in personal proficiency. The company had
a flawed model of the basics of leadership. Even if its lead-
ers excelled at mastering their proposed competencies,
they would not be doing all the basics well. The company
was eating only from one food group and wondering why
it wasn’t healthy. A simple organization exercise is to
match your organization’s competency model against the
Human capital developer
I map the workforce ……......................................................... 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
I link firm and employee brand ..................................... .....…. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
I help people manage their careers ……................................. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
I find and develop next-generation talent …........................... 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
I encourage networks and relationships in the organization .. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Personal proficiency
(Human Capital Developer Total)____� 5 � ____
I practice clear thinking ..................................................……. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
I know myself ………............................................................... 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
I tolerate stress ……...........................................................…. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
I demonstrate learning agility …….......................................… 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
I model character and integrity ……...................................…. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
I take care of myself ………..................................................... 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
I have personal energy and passion ….........................……... 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
(Personal Proficiency Total)____� 7 � ____
This document is authorized for use only by Tylecia Westbrook in WMBA-6000-3/MMSL-6000-3/MGMT-6000-3/WMBA-6000B-3-Dynamic Leadership2021 Spring Sem 01/11-05/02-PT2 at Laureate Education - Walden University, 2021.
Defining Leadership Code 23
five rules we have suggested. Do you want leaders who are
effective in all five areas?
The purpose of this book is to synthesize what we
know about the basics of leadership so that we can each
understand how to be and build better leaders. Leadership
can be developed through education, experience, mentor-
ing, coaching, job assignment, and leaders teaching lead-
ers. There is no magic bullet. The essential thing is to
know what leadership dimensions need to be developed,
and then develop them. By defining the basic rules of
leadership, you can examine your own leadership style and
organize effective leadership development efforts to build
future leaders.
If you want to be a better leader or build more effective
leadership in your organization, you need to master these
rules. Some of these characteristics will come naturally;
some will have to be learned. Each person’s leadership
will look and feel somewhat different based on personality
as well as more external circumstances (position, job
level, industry, company culture). That said, every leader
must master the fundamentals. Without owning these
basics, an individual cannot lead and leaders cannot invest
in future leaders—because they won’t know what they are
looking for.
This document is authorized for use only by Tylecia Westbrook in WMBA-6000-3/MMSL-6000-3/MGMT-6000-3/WMBA-6000B-3-Dynamic Leadership2021 Spring Sem 01/11-05/02-PT2 at Laureate Education - Walden University, 2021.
Go to www.leadershipcodebook.com for a brief video
lesson from Dave Ulrich that will help you to interpret
the results of the short leadership code self-assessment
tool in assessment 1-1. He will also introduce you to our
leadership code premium tools collection, including
a full-length leadership code assessment in both
self-assessment and 360 forms.
24 The Leadership Code
This document is authorized for use only by Tylecia Westbrook in WMBA-6000-3/MMSL-6000-3/MGMT-6000-3/WMBA-6000B-3-Dynamic Leadership2021 Spring Sem 01/11-05/02-PT2 at Laureate Education - Walden University, 2021.
Notes
Chapter One
1. Competency theorists include: Richard E. Boyatzis. The Competent Manager: A Model for Effective Performance (New York: Wiley, 1982); Lyle M. Spencer and Signe M. Spencer, Competence at Work: Models for Superior Performance (New York: Wiley. 1993).
2. Results-focused theorists include: Jack Zenger, Joe Folkman, Bob Eichinger, and Mike Lombando.
3. These generous thought leaders are named and thanked in the acknowledgments.
4. Personal correspondence with Jack Zenger. Cited with permission.
5. Matthieu Ricard, Happiness: A Guide to Developing Life’s Most Important Skill, trans. Jesse Browner (New York: Little, Brown, 2006), 5.
This document is authorized for use only by Tylecia Westbrook in WMBA-6000-3/MMSL-6000-3/MGMT-6000-3/WMBA-6000B-3-Dynamic Leadership2021 Spring Sem 01/11-05/02-PT2 at Laureate Education - Walden University, 2021.
- FM_Ch_01.pdf
- chpt01_1901.pdf
- Notes_Ch_01.pdf