Framework · Leadership Development
Leadership Development Framework
A three-part framework for distributing leadership as far and wide as possible within teams and organizations. From defining leadership and management as learnable activities, to a 9-grid organizational development program, to an individual coaching progression.
Too long; did read
- •Leadership and management are separate, learnable activities. Approached this way, they become attainable to everyone, regardless of background.
- •Management can be automated. Leadership requires human interaction but does not need to be owned by one individual. It can be distributed.
- •Document the cadence, not the hierarchy. What matters is a shared understanding of when things are done, not how.
- •A 9-grid (Me / You / We × Entry / Team Lead / L-Team) structures organizational leadership development. Pick 1 to 3 skills to train everyone on.
- •Individual coaching follows a progression from Oblivious → Aware → Developing, each requiring a different approach in isolation vs. team context.
- •Great leaders create more leaders. Leadership is a feeling awoken in others. Active listening is the first skill to learn.
Core Principles
Leadership is Activities, Not Position
Approached as activities, leadership and management become learnable skills attainable to everyone, regardless of background, disabilities, ethnicity, or life experience.
Leadership Belongs to Everyone
Management activities can be automated. Leadership-related activities need human interaction but don't need to be owned by one individual. They can be distributed among many.
Cadence over COO
What matters in management tasks is not how things are done; it is a shared understanding of when they are done. Document the cadence, not the hierarchy.
Start with Listening
Active listening is the first leadership skill to learn. You know you have done it right when you become inspired by hearing what the other person says.
Leadership is a Feeling Awoken in Others
If leadership is a feeling, the best way to inspire is to have people inspire themselves. You cannot control others' feelings, but you can choose how you react.
Great Leaders Create More Leaders
Leaders come in many forms. Creating leaders requires a particular practice, a set of actions, that at best is distributed throughout the team and organization.
Leadership vs. Management Activities
Leadership and management are distinct sets of activities. Leadership requires human interaction; management can increasingly be automated. Select any activity to view its details.
Leadership Activities
Management Activities
AI can automate management activities. Leadership activities are fundamentally human-to-human interactions.
The 9-Grid Development Program
Pick 1 to 3 skills to train everyone on, not just managers. The columns represent focus areas; the rows represent organizational levels. Click any cell to explore.
Individual Coaching Grid
How you coach an individual depends on their self-awareness level and whether they operate in isolation or within a team. Click any cell.
"To learn is to live, so if you live to learn, you learn to live."
"What matters more in management tasks is not how things are done. It's a shared understanding when they are done."
"You have two ears and one mouth; use them accordingly."
"Leadership is challenging to teach, but you can learn it."
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