Adopt a 6-part framework

AS AN HR LEADER YOU are tasked with building an innovative workforce to move the company forward, supporting employees who fear speaking up to their supervisors, developing managers hesitant to lead, and building teams that stumble without cohesion. Here are a set of principles that might help untangle this complexity and provide you a way to assess and improve the talent development side of your function:

1. Behavior follows perceptions. Leaders who successfully change their behavior first change their mindset;
2. Organizations change when their leaders change. If a leader transforms their organization some aspect of their leadership will have to transform;
3. Communication agility creates stronger connections. Leaders can influence more people by adjusting their style to match the needs of their audience;
4. Strengths can become derailers. A leader will have many strengths that are perfect for their role, like tenacity, data-focused, business acumen, directness, courage. If the leader uses too much of those strengths or uses them in the wrong setting, they can become micromanagers, harsh, intimidating etc.
5. Learning stops once something is known. Leaders can create learning, innovative companies by encouraging others to ask more questions and relying less on what they know.
6. Companies follow an “S Curve” pattern. Leaders can help move their companies through the lifecycle of Start Up, Grow, Mature, Decline and Die; and even innovate past Decline by creating a new lifecycle.