Campbell Leadership Descriptor Facilitator's Guide 9781604916157, 9781604915440

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CAMPBELL LEADERSHIP DESCRIPTOR Facilitator’s Guide

David Campbell

Campbell Leadership Descriptor FACILITATOR’S GUIDE

David Campbell

Copyright © 2019 Center for Creative Leadership. All rights reserved.

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Published by CCL Press Author David Campbell With Special Thanks Dawn Barts, John Fleenor, Shaun Martin, Stephen Rush, Peter Scisco, Sylvester Taylor Manager, Publication Development Peter Scisco Editor Shaun Martin Design and Layout Diana Coe Rights and Permissions Kelly Lombardino Copyright © 2019 Center for Creative Leadership All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the publisher. Printed in the United States of America. CCL. No 8020 ISBN No. 978-1-60491-544-0 Ebook No. 978-1-60491-615-7 CENTER FOR CREATIVE LEADERSHIP WWW.CCL.ORG

Contents Introduction 1 About the Campbell Leadership Descriptor 5 Administering and Scoring the Descriptor 11 Preparing for a Workshop Session 19 Conducting a Workshop Session 23 Appendix A Workshop Slides 37 Appendix B Developmental Strategies 45 Appendix C Frequently Asked Questions 53 Appendix D Other Uses for the Descriptor 57 Appendix E Case Studies 61 Appendix F Illustrative Profiles 69 Appendix G Suggested Resources 85 About the Author 86 About the Center for Creative Leadership 87

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Copyright © 2019 Center for Creative Leadership. All rights reserved.

Introduction EFFECTIVE LEADERSHIP IS CRUCIAL to the success of any organization, so it is not surprising that developing good leaders should be among any organization’s top priorities. Similarly, continually improving their leadership skills should be a priority for individuals who wish to expand their influence. Thus, leadership development is important at both the macro level, for organizations, and at the micro level, for individuals. For people to develop their leadership skills and abilities, they must first be able to recognize their strengths and identify areas in which they need to improve. The Campbell Leadership Descriptor was developed to achieve that purpose. The Descriptor is specifically designed for use in those situations in which a “self versus others” analysis of leadership characteristics would be useful, such as leadership development seminars, classroom discussions, and one-on-one coaching. Two main strategies guided the Descriptor’s development. The first was universality: The desire for a universal list of leadership components applicable for leaders at every level in every type of organization. The second was simplicity: The wish to have the list available in a format that would make it easy for respondents to compare themselves systematically with others on these essential leadership components. Because the Descriptor has been designed for simplicity, it can be filled out and scored on the spot. It is self-scoring and self-norming in that it asks respondents to describe not only themselves but also a “good leader” and a “poor leader” they have personally known. The respondents’ results, which are presented graphically on a “Leadership Profile,” compare their self-reported leadership strengths and weaknesses with the leadership strengths and weaknesses of their designated good and poor leaders. The major purpose of the Descriptor is to create a structured discussion about the important components of leadership. When used for developmental purposes, which will normally be the case, the Participant Workbook, including the Descriptor, is focused on three specific goals: •

To acquaint respondents with the major components of leadership—”the necessary actions.”

•

To encourage respondents to think about what it takes to accomplish each of these components—in



other words, to ask,“How do others do it? What works?”

•

To help respondents identify specific actions that can strengthen their leadership effectiveness by



asking,“What do I do next?”

Although the Descriptor is best suited for use with groups or for one-on-one coaching by a skilled professional, it can also be used in a “self-directed” manner: Individuals who are reasonably mature and experienced can work on their own to fill in the Descriptor, score it, and draw their own conclusions from the results. Copyright © 2019 Center for Creative Leadership. All rights reserved.

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About This Facilitator’s Guide This Facilitator’s Guide includes the detailed information you need to prepare for and conduct a leadership workshop for a group of any size. You can also use the information in the Guide to plan and conduct coaching sessions with individuals. The Guide includes: •

Detailed information about the Campbell Leadership Descriptor, including an explanation of each of



the nine components;

•

Instructions for scoring the Descriptor and interpreting the scores, including a sample of a



completed Descriptor;

•

Guidelines to help you plan and prepare for a workshop;

•

A step-by-step “script” you can follow to conduct a workshop;

•

Master copies of slides (a PowerPoint version of these slides is available free at www.ccl.org/

cclpressresources); •

Additional information you might need, including suggested responses to questions that



participants often ask;

•

Case studies and “typical” group profiles; and

•

A list of suggested resources.

Learning Objectives After people complete the process of filling out and scoring the Descriptor and discussing the results, they will be able to: •

Describe the important components of leadership;

•

Identify the characteristics of a successful leader by comparing their choice of a “good” and a “poor” leader on each of the major components;

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•

Evaluate their leadership strengths and weaknesses by comparing themselves with the “good” and



“poor” leaders; and

•

Develop an action plan for improving their leadership skills and abilities.

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About the Campbell Leadership Descriptor THE DESCRIPTOR CONTAINS forty adjectives, each focused on a specific leadership characteristic. These forty adjectives are grouped into nine scoring components.

The Nine Components The first six components cover the major tasks of organizational leadership that must be present and well executed within any organization. Without these components, the organization, and its membership, will eventually suffer. Normally, it is the organization’s leaders who accomplish these tasks, either directly or through delegation. The remaining three components represent the more personal characteristics necessary for successful leadership. Successful leaders must have or be able to develop these characteristics themselves; they cannot be delegated. Without these three personal characteristics, no matter how skilled leaders might be in the other six components, they will have trouble focusing the attention and activities of their organization’s members. Six Major Task Components of Organizational Leadership 1. Vision—Establish the general tone and direction of the organization. 2. Management—Set specific goals and focus organizational resources for achieving them. 3. Empowerment—Select and develop direct reports who are committed to the organization’s goals. 4. Diplomacy—Forge coalitions with important internal and external constituencies: peers, superiors,

direct reports, potential organizational allies, and other important outside decision makers.

5. Feedback—Observe and listen carefully to clients, customers, voters, employees, students, team

members (that is, all concerned parties) and then share the resulting information in a manner that



those affected can accept as beneficial.

6. Entrepreneurialism—Find future opportunities, including increased revenues, expanded markets, or

a higher probability of desirable outcomes, such as international peace, a healthier environment, or



the creation of beauty, through mechanisms such as new projects, programs, or policies.

Three Personal Components of Organizational Leadership 1. Personal Style—By personal example, set an overall organizational tone of competence, optimism,

integrity, and inspiration.

2. Personal Energy—Live a disciplined, wholesome lifestyle that provides the necessary energy and

durability to handle the physical demands of leadership: long hours, stressful decisions, conflict and



its resolution, and wearying travel.

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3. Multicultural Awareness—Be experienced and comfortable working with individuals and managing

organizations across different geographic, demographic, and cultural borders.

Origin of the Nine Leadership Components The nine essential leadership components were derived from thirty years of experience with the Center for Creative Leadership’s research and training programs on leadership. The list grew out of innumerable studies, projects, conferences, training sessions, and discussions with practicing leaders, particularly those discussions concerning the “core competencies” of leadership necessary in widely diverse organizations. Although many organizations feel the need to develop an idiosyncratic list of leadership competencies for their own organization, most of their lists overlap substantially with the nine components provided here. For example, a shipping company may have the following item on its core list: “Ability to coordinate shipping schedules for multiple vessels with multiple cargoes entering and departing multiple ports.” This action can be more generally covered in the “Management” component of the Descriptor by adjectives such as the following: •

Systematic: Develops systems and procedures for efficiently organizing people and material

resources. •

Focused: Sets clear work priorities for self and others.

•

Delegating: Effectively assigns responsibility and the necessary authority to others.

By using these more generalized statements, leaders across a wide variety of organizations can be compared on the nine core components. Not incidentally, the statements can also be used to describe leaders across a range of functions within the same organization, such as operations, finance, marketing, human resources, and information systems.

The Defining Adjectives For each of the nine components, there is a list of five adjectives to describe the characteristics of leaders who are talented in the accomplishment of that component. The specific adjectives that represent each component also derive from the Center for Creative Leadership’s accumulated experience; established assessment instruments of various kinds, including personality surveys, 360-degree leadership questionnaires, and standardized lists of competencies were particularly useful in identifying which components were central to leadership skills in various settings. The adjectives selected represent a compilation from all of these sources.

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The five adjectives used for each component expand the coverage “bandwidth” and the reliability of the assessment that component provides. Obviously, several related items can cover a broader spectrum of the topic than can a single item, and answers to several items covering slightly different features of a single component provide a more reliable assessment than any single adjective taken alone. VISION—Establish the General Tone and Direction of the Organization Adjectives that describe leaders who are successful as visionaries in today’s global economy are •

Farsighted: Sees the big picture in developing a vision for the future.

•

Enterprising: Likes to take on new projects and programs.

•

Persuasive: Presents new ideas in ways that create “buy-in” from necessary constituencies.

•

Resourceful: Uses existing resources to create successful new ventures.

•

Has a global view: Thinks beyond national and cultural boundaries.

MANAGEMENT—Set Specific Goals and Focus Resources on Achieving Them Adjectives that describe leaders who are successful in focusing resources to achieve their goals are •

Dedicated: Determined to succeed; will make personal sacrifices for the vision.

•

Delegating: Effectively assigns responsibility and the necessary authority to others.

•

Dependable: Performs as promised; meets established deadlines.

•

Focused: Sets clear work priorities for self and others.

•

Systematic: Develops systems and procedures for efficiently organizing people and material

resources. EMPOWERMENT—Select and Develop Direct Reports Who Are Committed to the Organization’s Goals Adjectives that describe leaders who are good at empowering their people and helping them in their personal development are •

Encouraging: Helps others to achieve more than they thought they were capable of achieving.

•

Mentoring: Provides challenging assignments and related coaching.

•

Perceptive: Recognizes talent early and provides growth opportunities.

•

Supportive: Helps others deal with difficult personal situations.

•

Trusting: Sees the best in others; is not suspicious of differences.

DIPLOMACY—Forge Coalitions with Important Internal and External Constituencies: Peers, Superiors, Direct Reports, Potential Organizational Allies, and Other Important Outside Decision Makers Adjectives that describe leaders who are politically adroit in achieving their organizational agenda are •

Diplomatic: Understands the political nuances of important decisions; readily involves individuals



and groups who will be affected.

•

Tactful: Gains goodwill by not being offensive, even when disagreeing.

•

Trusted: Is trusted by individuals and groups in conflict to be a fair mediator.

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•

Well-connected: Knows a wide range of people who can help get things done.

•

Culturally sensitive: Develops teamwork among individuals of different cultures, races, religions, and

nations. FEEDBACK—Observe and Listen Carefully to Clients, Customers, Voters, Employees, Students, Team Members and Then Share the Resulting Information in a Manner that Those Affected Can Accept as Beneficial Adjectives that describe leaders who are excellent in creating and delivering good feedback to their colleagues and their organizations are •

A good coach: Gives constructive feedback in a way that benefits individuals.

•

A good teacher: Communicates critical information needed by groups to perform well.

•

Candid and honest: Does not suppress information that might be personally embarrassing.

•

Listens well: Open and responsive when receiving ideas from others.

•

Numerically astute: Organizes data in informative ways to show trends in individual and organiza-



tional performance.

ENTREPRENEURIALISM—Find Future Opportunities, Including Increased Revenues, Expanded Markets, or a Higher Probability of Desirable Outcomes such as International Peace, a Healthier Environment, or the Creation of Beauty Through Mechanisms such as New Projects, Programs, or Policies Adjectives that describe a leader who is successful in creating new endeavors are •

Adventuresome: Is willing to take risks on promising but unproven methods.

•

Creative: Thinks independently and comes up with many novel ideas.

•

Durable: Persists in the face of criticism or failure; hard to discourage.

•

Good fundraiser: Adept at securing funds for new projects.

•

Globally innovative: Enjoys the challenge of creating new programs and projects that go beyond



cultural and national boundaries.

The wide range of leadership tasks covered by these six major categories must be carried out continuously throughout the organization; consequently the people formally in charge, usually termed “The Leaders,” must also have the necessary personal characteristics to focus their organization on these tasks. For clarity of analysis, these characteristics have been gathered into three personal components. PERSONAL STYLE—By Personal Example, Set an Overall Organizational Tone of Competence, Optimism, Integrity, and Inspiration Adjectives that describe a leader with an effective personal style are

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•

Credible: Believable, ethical, trustworthy, has few hidden motives.

•

Experienced: Skilled in and knowledgeable about the organization’s core activities.

•

A visible role model: Understands the symbolic value of personal visibility in both daily and



ceremonial settings. Copyright © 2019 Center for Creative Leadership. All rights reserved.

•

Optimistic: Sees many positive possibilities; is constantly upbeat.

•

Looks at global picture: Provides an effective global leadership image across cultural categories and



national borders.

PERSONAL ENERGY—Live a Disciplined, Wholesome Lifestyle that Provides the Necessary Energy and Durability to Handle the Physical Demands of Leadership: Long Hours, Stressful Decisions, Conflict and Its Resolution, and Wearying Travel Adjectives that describe a leader who has the necessary personal energy to grapple successfully with the complex tasks of leadership are •

Balanced: Adapts well to conflicting personal and work demands.

•

Energetic: Active, constantly on the go, radiates energy.

•

Physically fit: In good health, physically durable, seldom sick, has no troublesome addictions.

•

Publicly impressive: Presents an appealing, energizing leadership image; a good speaker.

•

Internationally resilient: Comfortable crossing time zones, eating unfamiliar foods, dealing with new



customs, and generally adapting to other cultures.

MULTICULTURAL AWARENESS—Be Experienced and Comfortable Working with Individuals and Managing Organizations Across Different Geographic, Demographic, and Cultural Borders This component recognizes that, with the increasing cultural diversity found in most contemporary organizations and the concurrent expansion of many organizational activities across international borders, leaders at all levels need to be knowledgeable and sensitive about cross-cultural concerns. The “Multicultural Awareness” component has been created by combining appropriate internationally-oriented adjectives from five of the other components. The specific adjectives and their related components are •

Has a global view: Thinks beyond national and cultural boundaries (Vision).

•

Culturally sensitive: Develops teamwork among individuals of different cultures, races, religions, and



nations (Diplomacy).

•

Globally innovative: Enjoys the challenge of creating new programs and projects that go beyond



cultural and national boundaries (Entrepreneurialism).

•

Looks at global picture: Provides an effective global leadership image across cultural categories and



national borders.

•

Internationally resilient: Comfortable crossing time zones, eating unfamiliar foods, dealing with new



customs, and generally adapting to other cultures (Personal Energy).

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Administering and Scoring the Descriptor THE CAMPBELL LEADERSHIP DESCRIPTOR has been designed so that respondents can easily complete and score it themselves. As you will see later in this Guide, when you administer the Descriptor to a group or an individual, you will first explain its purpose, describe the nine leadership components, and discuss what is meant by a “good” leader and a “poor” leader. You will then show participants how to fill out and score the questionnaire. Finally, you will facilitate a discussion of the results and help participants develop their Personal Action Plans.

Completing and Scoring the Descriptor The Descriptor includes three response boxes for each of the forty leadership adjectives, one for “Self,” one for “Good Leader,” and one for “Poor Leader.” The adjectives are grouped into eight clusters. Six clusters represent the six major components of leadership, and two clusters represent two of the three personal style components. The third personal style component, “Multicultural Awareness,” is constructed by using one adjective each from five of the other components; thus, each of the scoring scales representing the nine components has five adjectives. Below are the instructions for completing and scoring the Descriptor. You will find a sample on pages 14 through 16. Instructions for Completing and Scoring the Descriptor 1. Using the following rating scale, enter a number for each adjective to indicate how well the adjective

describes “Self,” “Good Leader,” and “Poor Leader”:

4 = Definitely Descriptive

3 = Descriptive

2 = Not Descriptive

1 = Definitely Not Descriptive

2. To find the scores for each component except “Multicultural Awareness,” add up the numbers in the adjective boxes and enter the result in the “Total” box for that component. The score in each “Total” box should fall between 5, the minimum possible score, and 20, the maximum possible score. 3. To score the “Multicultural Awareness” component, add up the five numbers in the circles under the “Self” column, the “Good Leader” column, and the “Poor Leader” column, placing the results in the designated boxes at the bottom of page 22. 4. Transfer the totals to the Profile Sheet on page 23 of the workbook, using the following symbols to plot

three numbers for each component: Self =  Good Leader =  Poor Leader = r

5. Draw connecting lines across all of the components for each of the three profiles, using three different colors of ink. The result will be a set of three plotted profiles on the nine leadership components: One profile for “Self,” one for a “Good Leader,” and one for a “Poor Leader.” Copyright © 2019 Center for Creative Leadership. All rights reserved.

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What the Descriptor Scores Mean The implications of the scores are apparent on the Profile Sheet, according to the bands in which the scores fall.

SCORE

BAND

17 to 20

VERY HIGH

14 to 16

ABOVE AVERAGE

11 to 13

MID-RANGE

8 to 10

BELOW AVERAGE

5 to 7

VERY LOW

IMPLICATIONS Individual is very good in performing these components. Individual is good in performing these components Individual’s performance is in the midrange, neither high nor low. Individual needs improvement in performing these components. Individual needs significant improvement in performing these components.

Using their results, individuals can clearly see how they compare with the good and poor leaders they have described. This comparison will help them capitalize on their strengths and focus on improvements in areas where they have rated themselves relatively lower. For example, on the sample on pages 15-16, “Susan” scored highest on the “Personal Energy” component and lowest on the “Feedback” component. The implications are that she is strong in the area of “Personal Energy” and that she might benefit from improving the skills related to the “Feedback” component. The Descriptor can be particularly Note: See Appendix E, page 61, for more information helpful in identifying those areas in about “Susan,” along with samples of discussion which individuals feel uncertain of questions that a facilitator or a coach might their performance. People within an ask to help her think about her Descriptor profile. organization who are the most skilled on all nine of the components will usually gravitate into important leadership positions, especially if they are personally motivated to seek out leadership roles. However, although all leaders must have at least some of the requisite characteristics for suitable performance, most are not equally talented in all nine areas. To make up for their deficiencies, they need to delegate some leadership tasks or work diligently to improve themselves in these areas. In general, the weaker the leader in any specific competency, the more he or she needs to depend on others in that area. Delegating leadership tasks to others is not always easy. We are all generally more comfortable being around people who share our strengths, yet the leadership tasks we do not personally enjoy or do particularly well still need to be done. For example, an otherwise successful leader whose profile results

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indicate that he is not particularly creative in finding new opportunities for the organization or that he is uncomfortable considering new approaches may decide to seek the assistance of innovative, risk-taking individuals within his organization. Another leader who scores low on the “Management” component might seek to delegate certain tasks to someone with good organizational skills. The Participant Workbook includes questions that help respondents think about the implications of their scores and use the information to develop their Personal Action Plans. Later in this Guide, you will find detailed guidelines for using those questions to facilitate group discussions.

Note: Make sure that you understand the scoring system and the implications of the scores before beginning the group session so that you can explain them clearly and answer participants’ questions.

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Susan Your Name:

Today’s Date:

Using the following scale, write a number in each box or circle for each statement for yourself, for a good leader, and for a poor leader. 4 = Definitely Descriptive

3 = Descriptive

2 = Not Descriptive

1 = Definitely Not Descriptive

Management

Vision

Self

Good Leader

Poor Leader

4  4  4 

4  4  4 

3  3  3 

4  4 

4  4 

3  3 * 

Total

20 

20 

15 

6. Dedicated: Determined to succeed; will make personal sacrifices for the vision 7. Delegating: Effectively assigns responsibility and the necessary authority to others 8. Dependable: Performs as promised; meets established deadlines 9. Focused: Sets clear work priorities for self and for others 10. Systematic: Develops systems and procedures for efficiently organizing people and material resources

4  3 

4  3 

2  2 

3  4  3 

4  4  4 

1  2  3 

17 

19 

10 

4 

4 

2 

3  4  4  3 

4  4  4  3 

2  3  2  2 

18 

19 

11 

1. Farsighted: Sees the big picture in developing a vision for the future 2. Enterprising: Likes to take on new projects and programs 3. Persuasive: Presents new ideas in ways that create “buy-in” from necessary constituencies 4. Resourceful: Uses existing resources to create successful new ventures 5. Has a global view: Thinks beyond national and cultural boundaries

Empowerment

Total

11. Encouraging: Helps others to achieve more than they thought they were capable of achieving 12. Mentoring: Provides challenging assignments and related coaching 13. Perceptive: Recognizes talent early and provides growth opportunities 14. Supportive: Helps others deal with difficult personal situations 15. Trusting: Sees the best in others; is not suspicious of differences Total

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4 = Definitely Descriptive

3 = Descriptive

2 = Not Descriptive

1 = Definitely Not Descriptive

Diplomacy

16. Diplomatic: Understands the political nuances of important decisions; readily involves individuals and groups who will be affected 17. Tactful: Gains good will by not being offensive, even when disagreeing 18. Trusted: Is trusted by individuals and groups in conflict to be a fair mediator 19. Well-connected: Knows a wide range of people who can help get things done 20. Culturally sensitive: Develops teamwork among individuals of different cultures, races, religions, and nations

Feedback

Total

21. A good coach: Gives constructive feedback in a way that benefits individuals 22. A good teacher: Communicates critical information needed by groups to perform well 23. Candid and honest: Does not suppress information that might be personally embarrassing 24. Listens well: Open and responsive when receiving ideas from others 25. Numerically astute: Organizes data in informative ways to show trends in individual and organizational performance

Entrepreneurialism

Total

26. 27. 28. 29. 30.

Self

Good Leader

Poor Leader

4 

4 

3 

3  3  4  3 

3  4  4  4 

2  2  4  3 * 

17 

19 

14 

4  3 

4  4 

3  3 

3 

4 

2 

4  2 

4  3 

2  4 

16 

19 

14 

    

3  4  4  4  3 

1  2  2  3  2 * 

16 

18 

10 

4 Adventuresome: Is willing to take risks on promising but unproven methods 4 Creative: Thinks independently and comes up with many novel ideas 3 Durable: Persists in the face of criticism or failure; hard to discourage 2 Good fundraiser: Adept at securing funds for new projects Globally innovative: Enjoys the challenge of creating new programs 3 and projects that go beyond cultural and national boundaries

Total

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4 = Definitely Descriptive

3 = Descriptive

2 = Not Descriptive

1 = Definitely Not Descriptive

Personal Style



Good Leader

Poor Leader

 

3  4 

1  2 



4 

2 

 

4  3 

2  2 * 

17 

18 

9 

  

3  4  4 

2  3  4 



4 

3 



3 

2 * 

20 

18 

12 

3 31. Credible: Believable, ethical, trustworthy, has few hidden motives 3 32. Experienced: Skilled in and knowledgeable about the organization’s core activities 4 33. A visible role model: Understands the symbolic value of personal visibility in both daily and ceremonial settings 4 34. Optimistic: Sees many positive possibilities; is always upbeat 3 35. Looks at global picture: Provides an effective global leadership image across cultural categories and national borders Total

Personal Energy

Self

4 36. Balanced: Adapts well to conflicting personal and work demands 4 37. Energetic: Active, constantly on the go, radiates energy 4 38. Physically fit: In good health, physically durable, seldom sick, has no troublesome addictions 4 39. Publicly impressive: Presents an appealing, energizing leadership image; a good speaker 4 40. Internationally resilient: Comfortable crossing times zones, eating unfamiliar foods, dealing with new customs, and generally adapting to other cultures Total

SCORING 1. For each component, beginning with “Vision,” add up your five ratings in the “Self” column, including those in the circles, and write the result in the “Total” box. Do the same for the “Good Leader” and “Poor Leader” columns. 2. Repeat this process for the remaining components. *3. To total your “Multicultural Awareness” component, add up the five ratings in the circles (items 5, 20, 30, 35, and 40) for the “Self,” “Good Leader,” and “Poor Leader” columns and write the results in the designated boxes below. 18 12 Multicultural Awareness Total 17





4. Using the results from the “Total” boxes, plot your scores on the profile sheet using the symbols on the bottom of the page.

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

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Preparing for a Workshop Session ALTHOUGH THE CAMPBELL LEADERSHIP DESCRIPTOR can be self-administered or used for one-on-one coaching, it is most commonly used in a group setting where participants can discuss the characteristics necessary for good leadership. In this section you will find guidelines to help you plan and prepare for a successful workshop.

Group Size The Descriptor is most commonly used for groups of ten to fifty individuals. However, because it was designed for maximum flexibility, it can be administered to a group of any size, from a few individuals to groups of several hundred. The larger the group, the more carefully you will need to structure the workshop and the more time you will need for group activities such as answering questions and organizing discussions.

Time Required This Guide includes the information you need to conduct a half-day (4 hour) leadership workshop in which you administer and score the Descriptor, facilitate a comprehensive discussion of the results, and help participants begin to develop their Personal Action Plans. You will also find suggestions for administering the Descriptor when your time is limited. Sample Schedule Here is the schedule for a typical half-day session (4 hours): Open the session 10 minutes Introduce the Campbell Leadership Descriptor 10 minutes Explain how to complete and score the Descriptor

10 minutes

Participants complete the Descriptor

45 minutes

Break (to allow slower participants to finish)

15 minutes

Discuss the Descriptor results

90 minutes

Identify developmental strategies and begin action plans

45 minutes

Close the session 15 minutes If Your Time Is Limited •

2 to 2 1/2 Hour Session: Focus the session on introducing and completing the Descriptor, which takes the first 1 1/2 hours. Limit the group discussion to about 20 minutes. Use the remaining time to help participants begin their action plans.

•

1 to 1 1/2 Hour Session: If you have less than two hours, give participants the Descriptor as prework with instructions to complete and score it in advance. (The workbook includes easy-to-follow

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instructions.) During the group time, facilitate a discussion of the results and help participants put down some ideas for their Personal Action Plans. Then use seminar time for discussion.

Room Requirements Your workshop will be more successful if participants are comfortable and have enough room to work. Here are some points to keep in mind: •

Select a room in which you and the group will not be disturbed or distracted while you work.

•

Make sure the room is large enough so that people can work comfortably. If the room is too large



for the group, set up the workshop at one end.

•

Avoid rooms with fixed “classroom-style” chairs or tables in rows facing you. Instead, plan a room



setup that provides participants with a writing surface and allows them to see and talk with one



another while they can easily see you and the visual aids. An excellent room arrangement is to use



round tables, each accommodating four to six people, with substantial open space around each



table and enough room at each table so that people do not feel cramped.

•

If possible, provide breakout rooms for small-group discussions where participants can discuss their



Descriptor results with some degree of privacy. If separate rooms are not available, groups can



convene in lounges, corners of hotel lobbies, ballrooms, or cafeterias, but try to keep the groups in



the same general area.

Notifying Participants At least one week before the workshop, send participants an announcement that includes: •

The title, day, time, and place of the workshop.

•

The name and credentials of the facilitator.

•

A brief description of the workshop purpose, such as: “This workshop will provide you with the



opportunity to assess your leadership skills and develop an action plan for becoming a more



successful leader.”

•

A brief description of what participants will do during the workshop, such as: “During this session,



you will complete a self-analysis survey, comparing yourself with good and poor leaders you have



known, and then you will discuss the implications of the results with other attendees. Your privacy



will be protected.”

•

A brief description of the benefits of the workshop, such as: “This workshop offers an opportunity



to explore the essential components of leadership in a detailed, analytical way; gain some insights



about how you compare with other leaders on these components; and systematically plan for your



own development.”

What You Will Need •

For each participant, a Campbell Leadership Descriptor Participant Workbook, that includes the three highlighters with different colors of ink for plotting Descriptor scores on the profile sheets.

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•

Slides or prepared flip chart pages to explain the leadership components and help guide participants



through the process of completing and scoring the Descriptor. (See Appendix A for slides.)

•

If you are using slides, a method for displaying them, such as a monitor or projection screen.

•

Depending on the size of the group, at least two flip charts with pads of paper; colored marking pens;



and masking tape or push pins for posting flip chart pages. For small-group discussions, it is helpful



to have a flip chart for each small group of five to seven people.

•

Name tags or name cards.

•

Extra writing tablets.

•

Your Facilitator’s Guide and any supplementary notes you may need.

Preparing Yourself The more familiar you are with the Descriptor, the more successfully you will be able to guide participants through the process of completing and scoring it and discussing the results. Here are some suggestions: •

Review the Facilitator’s Guide carefully, including the supplementary materials in the Appendices.

•

Follow the instructions to complete and score a Descriptor for yourself. Use the results to complete



your own Personal Action Planning Worksheet.

Note: If possible, ask a colleague to complete

Note: For the session itself, arrive at least 30

a Descriptor as well. Then spend some

minutes early so that you can check the room

time discussing the implications of both

setup and make any adjustments that might

sets of results, yours and your colleague’s.

be needed. Make certain that the equipment

Prepare your own notes, examples, and any

is working, the flip chart easels have pads, and

supplementary materials you will need.

the marking pens have enough ink. Arrange the workshop materials and make certain that the loose ends have been taken care of. Also, decide when and how you will make the necessary logistical announcements, such as reviewing the schedule for breaks, lunch, and ending time; providing information about restroom facilities; discussing parking issues, if any; and providing other information participants need.

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Conducting a Workshop Session AS STATED EARLIER, a primary purpose of the Descriptor is to stimulate a guided, detailed discussion of the characteristics necessary for good leadership. This section provides guidelines for administering the Descriptor to participants, helping them score it, facilitating their discussions, and helping them come up with action plans for improving their leadership skills.

Step 1: Open the Session (10 minutes) Purpose: Welcome participants; make introductions; explain objectives and agenda. Welcome Participants Begin the session by welcoming participants. If they do not know you, introduce yourself. Briefly explain USHOW SLIDE 1, “Campbell Leadership Descriptor Workshop”

why you are conducting this session.

Note: You may use the words provided here or use your own words to convey the same messages.

“I would like to welcome you to this session that will focus on the essential components of leadership. “In our increasingly complex world, the need for good leadership has never been higher. Leadership can help educate our children, keep us healthy, create greater economic prosperity, add beauty to our world through the arts, help push back the curtains of ignorance, and lead to harmonious relationships between different populations. “Our focus today will be on the essential, universal components of leadership that are applicable to all of us, no matter where we live or work. During this session, each of you will fill out a short questionnaire, the Campbell Leadership Descriptor, which will ask you to compare yourself with characteristics of those you consider to be good leaders and characteristics you consider to be indicative of poor leaders. We will then analyze the results and discuss the implications. You will leave the workshop with the beginnings of a Personal Action Plan for becoming a more effective leader.”

Lead Introductions

Ask participants to introduce themselves. “Before we begin, I would like each of you to introduce yourself and tell us something about what you do.”

Note: If the group is too large for individual introductions, ask participants to form small groups of four to six people and introduce themselves to the other members of their small groups.

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Step 1: Open the Session (10 minutes) Purpose: Welcome participants; make introductions; explain objectives and agenda. Introduce Topic

Introduce the topic by asking participants to think about the leadership challenges they and their organizations face today. “For example, the increasing globalization of business requires new skills, such as the ability to learn other languages and understand other cultures. What else is happening both within and outside of your environment that has implications for leadership?”

FLIP CHART FREFER TO PARTICIPANT WORKBOOK, PAGE 2

USHOW SLIDE 2, “Objectives”

Elicit several responses and write them on a flip chart page. Tell participants they may take notes on page 2 of their Workbooks. Add any from the list below that participants do not mention. Leadership Challenges •

Increased competition

•

Unstable economy

•

Downsizing

•

Environmental concerns

•

Rapidly changing technology

•

Changing nature of the workforce

Show Slide 2 and ask participants to turn to the list of objectives on page 2 of their Workbooks. Explain that these are the learning objectives for the session. Read the objectives aloud. Ask participants to identify their personal objectives. “You probably have some personal objectives for today. Before we review the Agenda, list your personal objectives on this page.”

USHOW SLIDE 3, “Agenda”

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Show Slide 3 and review the Agenda. Point out times for breaks and lunch (if any), and give participants logistical information, such as the location of restrooms. Also, explain that much of the material covered in the session is summarized in the Participant Workbook and that you will tell participants when to turn to a specific page.

Copyright © 2019 Center for Creative Leadership. All rights reserved.

Step 2: Introduce the Campbell Leadership Descriptor (15 minutes) Purpose: Explain what participants need to know before they complete the Descriptor. Give participants a brief introduction to the Campbell Leadership Descriptor and explain how they are going to use it in the workshop. “The questionnaire that you are going to fill out today is called the Campbell Leadership Descriptor. The major purpose of the Descriptor is to create a structured discussion about the important components of leadership. “The Descriptor can be described as an aid in comparing yourself—in a detailed manner—with both good and poor leaders. The process of completing the Descriptor and discussing the results will help you to become acquainted with the major components of leadership, to think about what it takes to accomplish each of these components, and to identify specific actions that can strengthen your leadership effectiveness.”

USHOW SLIDE 4, “Leadership Components—Major Tasks” FREFER TO PARTICIPANT WORKBOOK, PAGES 5–9

Use the following explanations of the nine leadership components and the adjectives that describe them. Illustrate your descriptions with Slides 4 and 5. Tell participants that they can follow along on pages 5–9 of their Workbooks. The Nine Components The first six components cover the major tasks of organizational leadership that must be present and well executed within any organization. Without these components, the organization, and its membership, will eventually suffer. Normally, it is the organization’s leaders who accomplish these tasks, either directly or through delegation. The remaining three components represent the more personal characteristics necessary for successful leadership. Successful leaders must have or be able to develop these characteristics themselves; they cannot be delegated. Without these three personal characteristics, no matter how skilled leaders might be in the other six components, they will have trouble focusing the attention and activities of their organization’s members. Six Major Task Components of Organizational Leadership 1. Vision—Establish the general tone and direction of the organization.

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2. Management—Set specific goals and focus company resources on achieving them. 3. Empowerment—Select and develop direct reports who are committed to the organization’s goals. 4. Diplomacy—Forge coalitions with important internal and external constituencies: peers, superiors, direct reports, potential organizational allies, and other important outside decision makers. 5. Feedback—Observe and listen carefully to clients, customers, voters, employees, students, team members (that is, all concerned parties) and then share the resulting information in a manner that those affected can accept as beneficial. 6. Entrepreneurialism—Find future opportunities, including increased revenues, expanded markets, or a higher probability of desirable outcomes, such as international peace, a healthier environment, or the creation of beauty, through mechanisms such as new projects, programs, or policies. USHOW SLIDE 5, “Leadership Components—Personal Characteristics”

Three Personal Components of Organizational Leadership 1. Personal Style—By personal example, set an overall organizational tone of competence, optimism, integrity, and inspiration. 2. Personal Energy—Live a disciplined, wholesome lifestyle that provides the necessary energy and durability to handle the physical demands of leadership: long hours, stressful decisions, conflict and its resolution, and wearying travel. 3. Multicultural Awareness—Be experienced and comfortable working with individuals and managing organizations across different geographic, demographic, and cultural borders. Origin of the Nine Leadership Components The nine essential leadership components were derived from David Campbell’s thirty years of experience with the Center for Creative Leadership’s research and training programs on leadership. The list

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Copyright © 2019 Center for Creative Leadership. All rights reserved.

grew out of innumerable studies, projects, conferences, training sessions, and discussions with practicing leaders, particularly those discussions concerning the “core competencies” of leadership necessary in widely diverse organizations. Although many organizations feel the need to develop an idiosyncratic list of leadership competencies for their own organization, most of their lists overlap substantially with the nine components provided here.

Step 3: Explain How to Complete and Score the Descriptor (5 minutes) Purpose: Explain the layout and scoring of the Descriptor; help participants identify a “good” leader and a “poor” leader to use for comparison. USHOW SLIDES 6, 7, 8, Explain the process for filling out and scoring the Descriptor as participants view the various slides. 9, and 10, “Rating the Adjectives,” “Complete the Survey,” “Find the Totals,” “Use Symbols to Plot the Profiles”, and “Scoring Implications” FREFER TO PARTICIPANT WORKBOOK, PAGES 12–17

Using the slides and the Sample Descriptor, “Susan” (see pages 14–16), explain the layout of the Descriptor booklet. Tell participants they can follow along on pages 12–17 of their Workbooks. Show participants how to enter and total their responses, and transfer scores to the Profile Sheet. Remind participants that when they complete the Descriptor, they will be describing themselves, a good leader, and a poor leader on each of the nine components.

Note: Participants should not turn to the Descriptors in their workbooks until you have finished explaining the layout and scoring. Otherwise, some participants might begin completing it before they have all the information they need. Also, make certain you have a good understanding of the scoring system so you can explain it clearly and answer participants’ questions.

Lead a brief discussion to make sure that participants understand what is meant by a “good” leader and a “poor” leader. Begin with an example of each from your own experience. Then ask participants to share a few examples of their own. During or after the discussion, ask participants to list some of the characteristics of “good” and “poor” leaders on page 16 of their Workbooks. Ask for volunteers to share examples of what they have listed as characteristics of “good” and of “poor” leaders.

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On the following page of their Workbooks, ask participants to write the names or initials of one “good” leader and one “poor” leader they will use when they complete the Descriptor. Explain that their choices are confidential; they will not be asked to reveal to the group or to you the names of the people they have identified as good or poor leaders. Ask participants whether they have any questions about filling out or scoring the Descriptor before they begin. FREFER TO PARTICIPANT WORKBOOK, PAGE 20

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Ask participants to turn to page 20 in their Workbooks and tell them how long they have to fill in and score the questionnaire.

Note: Allow at least 45 minutes for participants to do this activity. Because there will be a substantial difference between the fastest and slowest respondents, schedule a flexible break after the activity. People who complete the Descriptor quickly can then leave while others are still working. Remain available to answer questions while participants are working.

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Step 4: Discuss the Descriptor Results (90 minutes) Purpose: Facilitate large-group and small-group discussions to help participants understand the implications of the Descriptor results. Lead large-group discussion

After participants have filled out the Descriptor, scored it, and plotted their three profiles (“Self,” “Good Leader,” and “Poor Leader”), bring them back together to discuss their results. Begin by asking for examples of what participants learned from completing the Descriptor.

Note: Encourage several responses but do not put people “on the spot” by insisting that they speak. Also, be sure to keep this discussion focused and brief.

“Before we break into small groups to discuss the results of this process in more detail, I would like a few of you to tell us something you learned from completing the Descriptor.”

If the group seems to need prompting, give one or more of these examples: “For instance, you may have noticed how well you compared with your good leader on one or more of the components, such as vision or feedback. Or you may have noticed that you need to improve your knowledge about other cultures.”

FREFER TO PARTICIPANT WORKBOOK, PAGES 25–26

Ask participants to turn to pages 25–26 of their Workbooks. Remind them that a primary purpose of completing the Descriptor is to help them think about what it means to be a good leader. Explain: “Now I would like you to work in small groups to discuss what you learned from completing the Descriptor. Use the questions on pages 25–26 of your Workbooks as a guide for your discussion.”

Divide participants into small groups, with 4 to 7 people in each group. Explain that they do not need to share their actual scores with others in their group if they feel uncomfortable doing so. Ask each group to designate one person as a recorder to note the key points from the group’s discussion. Discussion Questions • What was one important thing you learned as a result of completing the Descriptor? • What surprised you? • On which characteristics did your “good” leader score the highest? The lowest? Your “poor” leader? What do those scores imply about leadership?

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Did you score higher or lower than you expected? On which characteristics? • In what ways has completing the Descriptor helped you see leadership differently? Why is that? • What are some things you might do next to become a more effective leader? •

Give participants 30 to 40 minutes for this activity. Check in with each group occasionally to answer questions, clarify points, and make sure the discussions remain on track. Lead large-group discussion

FLIP CHART

When the time is up, bring participants back into the large group. Take a quick “straw poll” to find out what participants thought were the most important components for a good leader. List all nine components on a flip chart page. Then ask:

Note: If you have fewer than 15 or 16 participants, ask for individual rather than group responses.

“What did your group see as the most important components for an effective leader? What were the top two in your group? How many groups thought Vision was in the top two? Empowerment?”

In the resulting discussions you may wish to emphasize that all of these components are crucial. As you ask for responses for each component, put a check mark next to that component for each group that considered it among the top two. For example, if three groups think that “Vision” is among the top two, put three check marks next to “Vision” on the flip chart page. Tally the responses and circle the five components the participants consider the most important. Ask groups to report FLIP CHART

Next, ask a representative from each small group to share two or three key learning points from that group’s discussion. Record their responses on a flipchart page. When you fill a page, post it on the wall with masking tape or push pins and begin another. After all the groups have shared their key learning points, ask whether anyone has any additional points to add. Write responses on the flip chart page. Review and summarize the groups’ key learning points.

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Step 5: Help Participants Identify Developmental Strategies and Begin Their Action Plans (45 minutes) Purpose: To help participants focus on their individual strengths and weaknesses, identify strategies for expanding on strengths and improving weak areas, and begin the process of developing their Personal Action Plans. Explain that, during the next part of the workshop, participants will use the Descriptor results to develop strategies for becoming better leaders. They will also begin to develop their Personal Action Plans. “You have spent a lot of time thinking and talking about the essential components of leadership and examining your own leadership strengths and challenges. Now it is time to look at what you can do to become a more effective leader.”

FREFER TO PARTICIPANT WORKBOOK, PAGES 29–32

Ask participants to turn to pages 29-32 of their Workbooks. Ask them to review their Descriptor Profiles, fill out the chart on page 29, and think about how they would respond to the Descriptor Review Questions on page 30. These questions are also listed below.

Note: This activity can also be done in two-person teams or small groups.

Descriptor Review Questions For your strengths, consider these questions: • Why do you think you are strong on this component? How did you develop this strength? • In what ways will this strength be useful as you move into positions of increasing responsibility and leadership influence? • What steps can you take to develop this strength further? • Are there any negative effects of this strength? If so, what are they? What can you do to reduce them? For the areas in which you scored yourself lower, consider these questions: • Why do you think this area is troublesome for you? • In what way is this area impeding your progress? • How important will this area be as you seek increased leadership opportunities? • What actions could you take to strengthen this area?

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FLIP CHART

Give participants 6 to 8 minutes for this activity. When the time is up, ask for a few volunteers to share one strength each and one area in which they need to improve, along with a brief description of steps they might take to expand on strengths and improve on weak areas. Summarize participants’ developmental steps on a flip-chart page. Explain that the next step in the process is to come up with specific strategies for developing and improving leadership skills. Refer back to the flip chart page on which you tallied the results of the “straw poll.”

Note: If the group has widely divergent views as to which components are the most important, this is a good time to reemphasize that all of the components are important at varying times in varying settings. If the group seems to need prompting, offer some examples from the list of Developmental Strategies in Appendix B.

“Here are the components you identified as most important to good leadership. Let’s take a few minutes to come up with some developmental strategies for each component.”

Elicit some examples of relevant developmental strategies. Select the component that the group identified as the most important and ask participants to suggest what they could do to improve their ability to perform that component. FREFER TO PARTICIPANT WORKBOOK, PAGES 30–32

FLIP CHART

FREFER TO PARTICIPANT WORKBOOK, PAGES 35–39

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Assign each table group one of the components that the large group thought was most important to good leadership. For example, if you have five tables, select the top five; if you have only four tables, select the top four. Ask the participants at each table to discuss ways that they could become stronger on that component. Tell them they can note the developmental strategies they come up with on pages 30–32 of their Workbooks. Give participants 4 to 5 minutes for this activity. Then ask each group to report the strategies they came up with. List strategies on a series of flip chart pages and post the pages.

Ask participants to turn to pages 35–39 in their Workbooks. Explain that these pages contain a more detailed list of developmental strategies. Point out some of the ones that have not been mentioned. Tell participants that they are now ready to apply what they have learned about leadership and their own leadership strengths and weaknesses to develop

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Personal Action Plans. Explain that developing a detailed Personal Action Plan takes more time than is available during this session but that you will take the final few minutes of the session to help them begin. FREFER TO PARTICIPANT WORKBOOK, PAGES 35–39

Ask participants to turn to page 35 of their Workbooks and work with a partner to share ideas about specific actions they will take to become better leaders. Ask them to check off those actions in their Workbooks. Give participants 3 or 4 minutes for this activity. Then ask for a few volunteers to share some examples.

USHOW SLIDE 11, “Personal Action Planning Worksheet” FREFER TO PARTICIPANT WORKBOOK,

Walk through the instructions and the Personal Action Planning Worksheet to explain what information participants should enter in each column. Answer any questions participants may have.

Note: If you have enough time left, give participants a few minutes to begin their Personal Action Planning Worksheets.

Tell participants that they should complete their Personal Action Plans during the next week, while the learning from this session is fresh in their minds.

PAGES 40–41

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Step 6: Close the Workshop (15 minutes) Purpose: To help reinforce what participants learned and to provide a sense of closure. FREFER TO PARTICIPANT WORKBOOK, PAGE 42

To close the workshop, ask participants to turn to page 42 in their Workbooks and list several key learning points—the most important things they have learned during this session. Give participants 1 to 2 minutes to list their key learning points. Then ask for a few volunteers to share what they found most important. Suggest that, to continue evaluating and improving their leadership skills, it also can be helpful for participants to retake the Descriptor six or nine months after the workshop and develop a new action plan based on the results. Point out that there is supplementary information in the Workbooks, including a suggested reading list, that participants might find useful. Close the workshop by thanking participants for their attention and wishing them well in their efforts to become better leaders.

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List of Appendices Appendix A Workshop Slides Appendix B Developmental Strategies Appendix C

Frequently Asked Questions

Appendix D Other Uses for the Descriptor Appendix E Case Studies Appendix F Illustrative Profiles Appendix G Suggested Resources

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Appendix A: Workshop Slides (A PowerPoint version of these slides is available free at www.ccl.org/cclpressresources.)

Slide 1

Slide 2 Copyright © 2019 Center for Creative Leadership. All rights reserved.

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Slide 3

Slide 4

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Copyright © 2019 Center for Creative Leadership. All rights reserved.

Slide 5

Slide 6

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Slide 7

Slide 8

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Copyright © 2019 Center for Creative Leadership. All rights reserved.

Slide 9

Slide 10

Copyright © 2019 Center for Creative Leadership. All rights reserved.

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Slide 11

42

Copyright © 2019 Center for Creative Leadership. All rights reserved.

Copyright © 2019 Center for Creative Leadership. All rights reserved.

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Copyright © 2019 Center for Creative Leadership. All rights reserved.

Appendix B: Developmental Strategies NOW THAT YOU HAVE EXAMINED YOUR STRENGTHS as a leader and identified what you need to improve, the next step is to develop an action plan for becoming the most successful leader you can be. Below are some suggestions for developmental activities to improve your leadership abilities in general, as well as specific activities for each of the nine leadership components.

To Improve Your Overall Leadership Abilities mm Attend professional and personal development courses to learn more about communications skills,

negotiating, creative problem solving, presentation skills, time management, team building, goal



setting, project planning, management, diversity, and other topics that are essential to leadership

success. mm Take courses to become more creative and learn to think outside the box, such as classes in acting,

singing, improvisation, painting, and other areas of art and performance.

mm Look for opportunities to learn something entirely new—and difficult. For example, study a foreign

language or learn to play tennis.

mm Find a mentor, someone whose leadership abilities you respect, who is willing to share what he or

she knows about leadership, answer questions, and give feedback on your own performance as a

leader. mm Interview successful leaders, asking about their experiences and methods, what they think it takes

to be a good leader, and why they think some leaders succeed and others fail.

mm Observe the leaders in your environment and keep a journal in which you record your observations

about what they do that works, and what they do that does not work.

mm Look for opportunities to practice leadership in your work environment and with civic, community, or

volunteer organizations.

Vision mm Consider where your organization is and where it should be going (or, if it is more appropriate, your

portion of the organization). Ask questions such as, “What is the ‘big picture’ of our future?” “What will



it take to get there?” For the best leaders, asking these questions again and again comes close to being an



obsession. Constantly imagine a future for your organization that excites and motivates you.

mm Read other leaders’ vision statements and think about the ways in which those statements

drive organizations. For example, Bill Gates’ vision, enshrined on a plaque on the Microsoft campus



in Redmond, Washington, reads, “Every time a product ships, it takes us one step closer to the



vision: a computer on every desk and in every home.”

Copyright © 2019 Center for Creative Leadership. All rights reserved.

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mm Write a succinct vision statement that captures your thoughts about your organization’s future.

Outline specific goals that will be necessary to achieve your vision. Imagine how your vision



statement might motivate your direct reports, peers, and other relevant groups.

mm List the resources and the support that will be needed for your vision to succeed and determine

where those resources and that support might be obtained.

mm Predict what the major barriers to progress might be and how they might be overcome. mm Observe what other leaders in your environment are doing to create motivating visions and

supporting goals. Note which approaches seem to work and which are problematic.

mm Remain alert for opportunities, including “lucky breaks,” that you might exploit to achieve your vision. mm Be alert for events that might impede your progress, such as market changes, cultural shifts, or

political realignments, and reevaluate your vision in light of changed situations.

Management mm Evaluate the way your organization uses its resources and monitors progress toward its goals. What

seems to be working and what seems to need improvement?

mm Think of and experiment with changes that might improve the way things are done in your organization. mm Identify the operational and administrative problems that cause the most trouble in your

organization, and work with others to find ways to resolve them. See problems as opportunities for

improvement. mm Use books, software, training programs, and personal organizers to improve the way you manage

your time and organize yourself. Prioritize your activities and keep a “to-do” list.

mm Develop personal systems to organize information, documents, and files, so you can easily find

what you need.

mm Discriminate between what you must do yourself and what you can delegate. Learn techniques for

delegating so that the right work is done in the right way.

mm Look for opportunities to delegate, especially in areas that are not your strengths. mm Set specific performance goals for yourself, determine what it will take to achieve them, and

determine where you will find the necessary resources, including time.

mm Meet your deadlines. mm Work with your direct reports to set specific performance goals. Determine what it will take for

people to achieve goals, including what they need from you, and make sure they have the



necessary support and resources. mm Establish a system for monitoring progress, giving feedback, and revising goals as needed.

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Copyright © 2019 Center for Creative Leadership. All rights reserved.

Empowerment mm Pay attention to what seems to motivate the people around you, identifying the different things

that motivate different individuals: For example, one person might be motivated by an increase in



salary, another might be motivated by the opportunity to work flexible hours, and still another might



be motivated by increasingly challenging projects.

mm For each of your direct reports, try to identify the primary motivators and, if possible, provide them. mm To the extent that you can, involve your direct reports in setting the organization’s goals, determining

how to achieve them, making decisions, and solving problems. When you must make a decision



yourself, ask for direct reports’ opinions and ideas, consider them carefully, and explain the reasons



behind the decisions you make.

mm Focus on results, not on process. When giving assignments and delegating responsibilities, describe

the results you want and encourage the person to come up with a plan for achieving them. Make cer-



tain the person has the necessary resources and support to achieve the results.

mm Think of several ways in which you can provide direct reports with education, training, opportunities

for professional travel, increased responsibility, and other activities that help them learn and grow.

mm Think of several ways in which you can recognize, encourage, and support people who have special

talents. For those who appear to have good leadership potential, offer your help as a mentor.

mm Recognize when productive direct reports need to move on to other opportunities, and be willing to

support their decisions.

mm Try to understand and support direct reports who are dealing with external pressures, such as family

problems or health issues.

mm Think of several ways in which you can help those around you celebrate their successes.

Diplomacy mm Rate your interactions with others on a scale of 1 to 10 to determine how often you are in conflict,

with 10 being “very often” and 1 being “hardly ever.” If you rate yourself higher than 6, you probably



need to improve your diplomacy. Identify the reasons for conflicts: For example, do you usually insist



on being right? Do you tend to lose your temper when someone opposes or disagrees with you?



Do you see compromise as failure? Make a contract with yourself to control the behavior that leads



to unnecessary and unproductive conflict.

mm Learn to listen actively. When involved in complex situations with differing viewpoints, try to

understand and respect what is important to each party and work toward a mutually acceptable

resolution. mm Respect other people, even when you do not agree with them. Consider other people’s feelings. Be

tactful. Avoid blaming or embarrassing others.

mm Think of several ways in which you can develop positive relationships with people at different levels

of your organization and in other organizations that may be of help to you months or even years in



the future.

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mm Find ways to extend your friendships and professional acquaintances to people who are different

from you—different points of view, backgrounds, age, gender, race or ethnicity, sexual orientation,



nationalities, and religions.

mm Expand your network of contacts by becoming active in professional organizations, civic and

community groups, and other organizations.

Feedback mm Evaluate the way information is communicated within your organization. Does everyone have the

information needed to function effectively? Do you tend to withhold information that is potentially



embarrassing or you think people do not need? Make a commitment to share information



openly and encourage others to do the same.

mm Learn how to organize and present numerical data in a way that helps everyone understand its relevance. mm Learn how to give useful feedback that helps people know what they are doing well and what

they need to improve. Focus on relevant, observable behavior and results instead of assumptions



and personalities. Be specific. Say, “I have noticed that you immediately criticized six of the seven



ideas that came up in yesterday’s team meeting,” instead of “You’ve got an awfully negative

attitude!” mm Find opportunities in which to practice giving feedback. For example, volunteer to coach a sports

team, teach someone to plant a garden, or direct a play.

mm Ask for feedback from direct reports and peers on your performance and listen carefully to what

they have to say.

mm Develop systems for people to give and receive peer feedback in a helpful, nonthreatening way.

Entrepreneurialism mm Examine several operational or administrative processes in your organization and ask yourself,

“How can we do this more quickly, less expensively, or more effectively?” Continually seek new,



innovative, creative ways of doing things.

mm List the obstacles, such as fear of failure or change, that keep you from coming up with new ideas. mm Keep a journal or file with new ideas, yours and others’, that intrigue you, including those that may

appear to have no relevance to what you are currently doing.

mm Notice which of the people around you seem to come up with good ideas and observe what they

do to promote acceptance of their ideas.

mm Learn and practice techniques for generating new ideas, such as brainstorming and thinking outside

of the box.

mm Practice selling your ideas to others. Be specific about what the idea is intended to achieve, why

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you think it will work, what its benefits will be, and what it will take to achieve results.

Copyright © 2019 Center for Creative Leadership. All rights reserved.

mm Be willing to experiment and risk failure. Not every new idea works, especially not the first time it is tried. mm Persist in the face of failure; don’t be easily discouraged. Stay focused on ideas and projects you

really believe in. Seek and pay attention to feedback that can help you improve your ideas.

Personal Style mm Think through the need for and implications of legal behavior (conforming to the laws of our

society); ethical behavior (conforming to the ethical standards of your occupation or profession);



and moral behavior (conforming to your own internal standards of right and wrong). Imagine



situations in which each type of behavior might apply and determine what you would need to do to



behave appropriately.

mm Practice explaining your ideas and decisions in a way that helps people understand the reasoning

behind them.

mm Increase your competence by continually honing your skills in the core activities of your

organization. Ask people who know more than you do about certain activities to help you learn.

mm Take courses, such as global marketing or Web design, that increase your level of skill in tangential

activities that may be important to your organization, and perhaps your career, in the future.

mm Learn to be an excellent public speaker. Take a presentation skills course or join Toastmasters. Seek

opportunities to make presentations to groups of various sizes, both within and outside of your organization. Include cross-cultural or international settings where you might initially feel

uncomfortable. mm Learn to express positive interpretations of events and develop your sensitivities to issues that are

important to others.

Personal Energy mm Educate yourself about the components of a healthy diet. Eat sensibly and keep your weight under control. mm Exercise regularly every day and get sufficient sleep. mm Do not smoke or use drugs, and drink alcohol only in moderation. Build a network of people to

whom you can talk honestly when under stress.

mm Learn methods of controlling stress, such as meditation or relaxation exercises. mm Periodically involve yourself in rigorous, challenging activities, such as marathons or outdoor adventures.

Multicultural Awareness mm Seek activities that bring you into contact with individuals from different cultures or from other

countries. For example, look for opportunities to interact with exchange students, foreign business



people, visiting faculty, or other international guests.

Copyright © 2019 Center for Creative Leadership. All rights reserved.

49

mm Actively seek opportunities to travel, study, attend conferences, and work in other countries. mm Study another language, listen to music from other countries, and learn to recognize foreign

symbols, such as the flags, national anthems, and well-known landmarks of other countries.

mm Study the histories of other countries. mm Attend religious ceremonies for religions different from your own. mm Attend ceremonies or celebrations held in the various ethnic communities that comprise our country.

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Appendix C: Frequently Asked Questions

Where did these nine leadership components come from? Did someone just think them up? The leadership components are based on David Campbell’s thirty years of research and experience at the Center for Creative Leadership. They were derived from observation of recurring themes that appeared in the assessment data on leaders attending the Center’s programs; they were also tested against other analyses from several other sources, such as research projects carried out elsewhere, biographies and autobiographies of leaders, and numerous observations of leaders in their native (organizational) environments. Do these components apply equally well in all settings? For example, are they equally applicable for corporations, government agencies, military units, educational institutions, hospitals, symphony orchestras, and the wide range of nonprofit organizations? Yes, they apply equally well. The components were selected to represent “universals” in leadership performance. Some components might be more applicable in some settings than in others, and some components might be more applicable than others at specific times—for example, certain components may be more applicable in times of crisis. Still, over the long run, in most organizations at most times, each component is relevant. I don’t have any contact with foreign organizations or foreign workers; how can I answer the questions on the “Multicultural Awareness” component? The “Multicultural Awareness” component addresses differences from one country to another in dealing with leadership and also different cultures, races, and religions. Almost everyone today works with people who are different from themselves in some important ways. In responding to the items on this component, you should consider cultural differences as well as differences between countries. Why is each descriptor an adjective? The items provide a description of leaders. Adjectives are an efficient means of description, especially when combined with a more detailed definition. A definition has been included for each adjective to make certain that each respondent interprets the adjective in the same way. Why are the adjectives grouped into components? Why are they not just analyzed one by one? First, grouping similar adjectives provides a broader “bandwidth” of coverage than a single adjective taken alone. Second, the total of the answers to several similar adjectives provides a more stable, more reliable score than that of the adjectives considered one at a time. Copyright © 2019 Center for Creative Leadership. All rights reserved.

53

Why are some of the response positions shaped like circles? As you will see when you calculate your scores, the items with the circle response positions are internationally oriented and are therefore scored on two different components. The circles help you with those calculations. Why isn’t persistence or spirituality (or any of many other topics) included here? There are two possible answers to this question. In many cases, an apparently missing topic is in fact included, although perhaps expressed in a slightly different way. Persistence, for example, appears under the component of “Entrepreneurialism” as the adjective “Bold: Persists in the face of criticism or failure; hard to discourage.” If the topic does not appear in any form, it might have been considered for inclusion but was rejected because research or experience turned up problems with it. For example, the topic of spirituality was rejected for two reasons: People differ widely in their interpretation of the topic, and preliminary tryouts failed to find any consistent differences between “leaders” and “nonleaders” on this topic. What, precisely, is meant by a “good” leader? By design, no single, fixed definition of “good” leader is given here. The purpose of the Descriptor is to help you arrive at your own definition of a good leader, and then to compare yourself to that definition. There is, however, general agreement among respondents that good leaders are people who are characterized by the leadership components described in the Descriptor. People with these characteristics are almost invariably associated with, and often are in charge of, organizations that are flourishing. Similarly, what is meant by a “poor” leader? Again, no single definition is offered here. There is general agreement that poor leaders are not well described by the items in the Descriptor, and poor leaders tend to belong to organizations or departments within organizations that have unimpressive records of performance. Do good leaders score high and poor leaders score low on all of the components? Definitely not. Virtually all good leaders have a few flaws and all poor leaders have at least a few virtues. One of the benefits of the Descriptor is that it provides a detailed description of each person’s flaws and virtues, making the person’s leadership performance more understandable. The Descriptor also provides a means of focusing attention on possible developmental activities for improvement, even for good leaders.

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What kind of people are chosen as “good” leaders? For example, are men chosen more often than women? Because we do not ask respondents for demographic data on the people whom they choose for either good or poor leaders, we cannot answer this question. It is likely that the distribution of good and poor leaders mirrors the environment. If more men are in leadership roles in a given environment, they are more likely to be chosen for both good and poor leaders. For certain classroom projects where there was particular interest in the topic of gender and leadership, the respondents were instructed to pick their good and poor leaders from only one gender. According to the facilitators of those sessions, the results strongly suggested that gender was not an important issue. Good leaders of both genders were positively described by the components of the Descriptor, and the reverse was true for poor leaders of both genders. Will my own scores change over time? That depends on you. Your current scores probably show some highs, some mid-range scores, and some lows. You should definitely focus on keeping the high scores high; you do not want any changes there. You may choose to focus on mid-range or low scores in an attempt to improve your performance in those areas; thus, those scores might change. Would my scores change if I completed the Descriptor again in a few days—when I was in a different mood? Considerable experience with psychological surveys has shown that, yes, you might change some answers slightly if you repeated the survey within a few days. However, the changes tend to be responses to those items that you were somewhat uncertain about. Items that you feel strongly about, either positively or negatively, do not change much, and your strong opinions are what drive your major score patterns.

Copyright © 2019 Center for Creative Leadership. All rights reserved.

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Appendix D: Other Uses for the Descriptor Because the Campbell Leadership Descriptor is a systematic way to look at leadership characteristics, allowing immediate comparisons between individuals, it can be used for a range of purposes, restricted only by the user’s imagination. Below are some examples. To Compare Leaders Who Demonstrate Differing Levels of Performance For example, to determine why two working groups within an organization were demonstrating substantially different levels of performance, the Descriptor could be used to compare the characteristics of their leaders. When using the Descriptor for this purpose, the column headings in the booklet should be changed, perhaps by simply writing in the names or initials of or a code for the person(s) being evaluated. Then the resulting scores should be aggregated over all respondents for each person being evaluated. This aggregation should be done by the professional conducting the project, not by the respondents. For example, if a committee of six people is evaluating the performance of two individuals, each of the committee members could fill in the Descriptor, using two columns of response boxes, one labeled “Individual A,” the other labeled “Individual B,” then scoring the Descriptor in the normal manner. The pro- fessional facilitator will average the scores on each component for both individuals and then prepare a Profile graph comparing the two sets of scores. This process will provide a summary of specific leadership differences between the two individuals. The group can then use this information to decide what actions might be taken next. Using the Descriptor in such a manner can quickly focus the discussion on the leadership components relevant to the specific situation. To Compare Two Individuals Who Are Being Considered for the Same Leadership Position The Descriptor can be used to compare two candidates for the same leadership position. It is especially helpful when the candidates are well known by the decision makers. For example, if a committee of five people was responsible for selecting someone from a group for promotion, each committee member could use the Descriptor to analyze each candidate. The committee members would then have a common language to use in their evaluations. As in the previous example, the necessary modifications need to be made to the Descriptor, and the resulting data needs to be aggregated appropriately under professional guidance. To Explore Leadership Issues Relevant to a Particular Group If they wish, respondents can choose to compare themselves to a specific type of leader. For example, women who are interested in discussing leadership issues unique to women might restrict their choices of “good” leader and “poor” leader to female leaders they have known.

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57

To Provide Observer Ratings to Leaders Who Are Being Coached on Their Performance Observers who are familiar with an individual’s leadership style can fill out the Descriptor, describing the individual instead of themselves, along with a good leader and a poor leader of their choice. Then, serving as coach or mentor, one of the observers can aggregate the observer data, as described above, and discuss it with the person being coached by saying, “Here is the way that you are being perceived by this group,” and help the person come up with a Personal Action Plan based on the results. Of course, the individual might also fill in the Descriptor for him- or herself and a good and poor leader that he or she chooses. This information could be factored into the Personal Action Plan, an approach that resembles the classic 360-degree assessment procedure. Although it is more time-consuming, it produces powerful results by aggregating the perceptions of others. Again, this process should be monitored by an appropriately trained professional, such as as an human resources expert or industrial psychologist.

58

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Appendix E: Case Studies FOLLOWING ARE TWO CASE STUDIES showing the results from respondents who filled in the Descriptor. Explanatory comments are included to illustrate how the Descriptor can be used for various purposes.

“Susan” 20.0

 

20.0

19.0



17.0



19.0





18.0

19.0



20.0



18.0 17.0



15.0 14.0

r

18.0



16.0



r



19.0

 

18.0



17.0

16.0



17.0



16.0



14.0

14.0

r

r

r

12.0

r

r

11.0

r

10.0

10.0

r

9.0

= Self

= Good Leader

r= Poor Leader

Descriptor Profile for “Susan” Susan is an outgoing, energetic professional working in the health care industry. For the past ten years, she has been president of her own firm that provides a contracting service for hospitals and clinics that hire professionals to serve their patients on a short-term contractual basis. Susan’s “employees” consist of a roster of professionals available for contracts of varying lengths. In a sense, her role is more that of a “booking agent” rather than an employer. While she has no direct supervisory

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61

authority over her professional colleagues in the usual sense, she is responsible for the quality of their work and for the logistics of their working activities, such as billings and payments. She must hold them accountable for being where they are supposed to be and for following up the many details of patient care. In fact, her leadership responsibilities are more complex than in a typical hierarchical organization. Susan sees herself as committed to creating an ongoing “forum,” a partnership created to share information, and to building a loosely coordinated team of professionals who are devoted to delivering high-quality service and continually engaging in professional improvement. Susan filled in the Descriptor as part of a leadership seminar for community leaders. She reported that she had selected as her “good” leader an individual who owned a clinic that provided health care services for a wide range of clients; as her “poor” leader, she selected a mid-level manager in a government organization who had some regulatory control over her professional area. From her comments, it became clear that she liked and respected the good leader as both a person and a professional, and that she had substantial feelings of disdain for her designated poor leader. The overall pattern in Susan’s Profile is typical of the “normal” pattern: good leader high, self a bit lower, and poor leader much lower. Susan, however, has an extremely high score on the “Personal Energy” component. When asked why the score was so high, she said that she is quite athletic, very health conscious, and a marathon runner. Personal energy, an important part of her life, serves her well in her demanding leadership role. When Susan was asked to describe her good leader more fully, she said: “This person is a visionary, excellent at seeing the big picture and securing long-term contracts for patient care, both from my organization as service provider and from insurance companies as payers. He creates continuity, thinks beyond the bottom line, and knows how to ‘spend money to make money.’” She added, “He is charismatic, gregarious, and can relate to both high and low socioeconomic levels. He is also honest with a strong sense of integrity. He balances his own financial needs against those of others and plays the financial game ‘strictly by the book,’ that is, no cutting corners. He knows our technical area very well, and he has a lot of experience dealing with specific injuries. I trust his judgment on patient issues.” Susan continued: “He provides encouraging, yet honest, feedback to others. You don’t have to spend a lot of time trying to figure out what his motives are. And he is an excellent public speaker, is captivating, doesn’t ramble, and is articulate with his ideas. As a businessman, he is a risk taker. He has started many businesses, developed them, then handed them off to others and gone on to other endeavors.” As could be expected, her comments about her selected poor leader were quite different. “After working with him for some time, you finally figure out that he can’t be trusted—but that takes a while. He makes an

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excellent public appearance. He’s a sharp dresser, he’s a good speaker, and he has built a group of people around him who help him look good. But he’s not very competent, and at some level he knows that. If you rattle his cage at all or disagree with him, he gets jumpy, like a cat in a corner. He could never survive in the ‘real world,’ where you continually have to produce. He does have some redeeming qualities. For instance, he can be good when working with a small group. But overall, he’s still a terrible leader.” When asked about her reactions to the Descriptor, Susan’s first response was enthusiastic: “I really liked the detailed listing of the leadership components; in fact, I thought I’d like to have these on a small laminated card that I could carry around with me to remind me of what I want to be as a leader. The list provides a series of checks and balances. The graph provided a useful visual summary; that was helpful, instead of just looking at columns of numbers.” Susan added, “I think that I was hard on myself, but then, maybe I should be . . . . I’m not always completely open when negotiating contracts, particularly when I’m dealing with someone who seems overly focused on his or her own ‘entitlement.’ Even when I felt I was pretty good at something—like fundraising—I found it difficult to rate myself high if I thought that I still had a lot of room for improvement. Actually, I think that I am pretty humble. But that’s almost an oxymoron, isn’t it?” When asked what she intended to do with the data, she said, “I think that I have been sensitized to the entire list, and I’m going to pay more attention to how I handle some of these individual areas. In that sense, it has been a helpful exercise.” Sample Discussion Questions for “Susan” The following questions might be used to stimulate discussion with Susan about the impact of the Descriptor on her thinking: •

Your highest “Self” scores were on the “Vision” and “Personal Energy” components. You clearly feel



confident about these areas. How does this confidence play out in your daily life as a leader?

•

Your lowest “Self” scores were on the “Feedback” and “Entrepreneurial” components. Why are these



low? How do these scores play out in your daily life as a leader?

•

In what ways do you think you might improve your performance in these areas?

•

In terms of the “Feedback” area, have you considered sitting down with your direct reports in a more



structured way—for example, making a firm appointment, thinking ahead of time about what



comments you want to make and what their reactions are likely to be, and trying to anticipate how to



give the feedback without arousing an emotional reaction?

Copyright © 2019 Center for Creative Leadership. All rights reserved.

63

“John”

18.0 17.3 17.0 

 r

16.9

 

17.4

r

16.4



17.1

 r

19.0

18.7

 18.0  r 17.1

16.6

18.0 17.0





16.0

 r

14.9

 r

14.5



15.8 13.9

15.2

 15.0  r

14.9

 r

13.6

X

8.0

X

John was not rated on this dimension

19.0

X

7.7

X

6.0

X

6.4

X

5.8

X

5.8

X

7.5

6.3

= John’s Self Scores r= John’s Observer Scores = Good Leader Average X= Poor Leader Average

Descriptor Profile for “John,” High-Tech Senior Executive Plus Twenty-Five Observers This profile for John was created by an executive coach in the following manner: John was asked to fill in the Descriptor in the usual way; then twenty-five observers who were familiar with John’s leadership style were also asked to fill in a Descriptor, describing John instead of themselves and comparing him to a “good” leader and a “poor” leader of their choice. The coach then discussed the Profile results with John. John was near the top of a high-tech organization in which there was a great emphasis on both innovation and productivity. He was seen as quite competent but as needing some help in explaining his ideas to his colleagues; thus, arrangements were made for him to receive some coaching. There was no tension in his being singled out for coaching because others at his level and above were also using the services of coaches and because the coaching was presented in a way that implied excellent performance. In general, his corporation was devoting substantial resources to executive development, and the Descriptor was being used as part of this effort.

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John was a special case in that he had been identified as someone who might be sitting in the CEO chair some day. He had a wide range of functional assignments in his organization, in both staff and line positions. He was also one of the few executives in the company who had run an international operation. At one point, he told his coach that the latter had been an especially challenging yet educational experience that had helped him understand the “big picture.” The executive coach interviewed John for approximately two hours and then talked to several people who were his direct reports, peers, or superiors. The coach learned that John was well thought of but that he sometimes seemed to step on the ideas of others and that he did not seem to be comfortable responding honestly to others about his reactions to their ideas. If he did not appear to like an idea, he merely ignored it. Almost everyone hastened to say that he was a positive force in the working environment but that he could be even better if he would learn to be more straightforward in his responses to others. A few speculated on whether he could be forceful enough to progress to the highest ranks. (Curiously, his high score on “Diplomacy” seemed to suggest that he was too diplomatic and perhaps too concerned with hurting people’s feelings at the expense of honesty.) After John and all twenty-five observers had completed their Descriptors, the coach went over the results with John, component by component. As can be seen in the Profile, John was seen by the observers as an outstanding leader; they rated him, on average, almost as high as they rated their “good” leaders, who, presumably, were among the most outstanding leaders they had ever known. The Profile, however, highlighted the differences between John and his observers on specific behaviors within the “Empowerment” and “Feedback” areas, suggesting a fruitful although perhaps slightly uncomfortable focus for development. With the coach’s guidance, John decided to focus on these specific behaviors, and he and the coach planned to repeat the assessment after several months to talk about changes. Incidentally, the executive coach commented on a learning point: “While it was useful to have each observer rate both John and a good leader, their ratings of a poor leader were not particularly useful. When I do this again, I will omit that feature.” Note: For an application like this one, the

Sample Discussion Questions for John

executive coach should have a strong background

The following questions might be used to stimulate

in coaching, counseling, and individual assessment.

discussion with John about the results of the

What the Campbell Leadership Descriptor provides

Descriptor:

is a systematic listing of the important leadership

•

In the eyes of your observers, your highest

dynamics that can be considered in the executive’s



scores were on “Diplomacy” and

further development. What the coach provides are



“Management.” Does this feel right to you?

the necessary facilitation skills to focus attention

•

Can you speculate about what you do in these

on specific, relevant areas for the individual.



areas that people admire and respect?

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65

•

In contrast, your lowest scores were in the areas of “Feedback” and “Entrepreneurialism.” Can you



speculate about why this was true?

•

There is some suggestion here that you are not comfortable working with new ideas expressed by



others. Could that be because you generally think your ideas are better than theirs?

•

If so, given your high score on “Diplomacy,” you may be almost too good in avoiding conflict about



new ideas—and thus are seen as being less than forthright about your evaluation of suggestions



from others. Does this seem like a possibility? If so, how can you modify your approach in this

regard?

66

•

What do you think are the major strengths you need to develop if you aspire to reaching the top of



your organization? How can you do that?

•

Who in your environment can give you honest feedback about your progress about these points?

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Appendix F: Illustrative Profiles IN ITS PRE-PUBLICATION, “beta testing” mode, the Descriptor was used with several varied groups. For illustrative purposes, the completed Profiles were collected from these groups and average scores were calculated for the “Self,” “Good Leader,” and “Poor Leader” profiles. The average profiles, which are presented on the following pages, provide a useful overview of typical profile results. Facilitators can safely assume that their group profiles will be roughly the same, typically showing the “Good Leader” profile as the highest, the “Self” profile next, and the “Poor Leader” profile much lower. Even though the samples are small and would be expected to vary somewhat, perhaps the most reassuring feature of the data is the consistency of the profiles across groups from different settings. This strongly suggests that the basic components of leadership are common across all settings. Whether the setting is a law firm, a financial organization, a community, a high-tech aerospace organization, or a military academy, good leaders are seen as scoring high on these components and poor leaders are seen as scoring low; individual leaders tend, on average, to rate themselves toward the higher end. The shape of the profile is generally constant from one group to the next, with the “Good Leader” profile nearly always the highest, averaging about 18 on the 20-point scale, the “Self” profile slightly lower with an average of 15 to 16, and the “Poor Leader” profile consistently four to six points lower. On the Overall Profile, which includes the results from samples 1 through 11, the smallest variation between the three profiles, that is, good, poor, and self, was on the Personal Energy scale. Apparently, even poor leaders are seen as reasonably energetic. Similarly, the biggest gap between the good and poor leaders was on the Empowerment scale, mostly a result of the relatively low score for the poor leaders, which suggests that poor leaders are seen as relatively worse on the Empowerment component than on other components.

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69

Group One Group One consisted of twenty-six female partners of a large Midwestern law firm. They participated in an inhouse session on leadership that was conducted in an effort to help them develop the necessary leadership skills to take on expanded responsibilities. Their group profile shows a typical pattern: There is a large gap between the good and poor leaders, with the “Self” scores falling somewhere in between, usually closer to the “Good Leader” profile.

18.2 17.6



14.7





15.2



17.7



15.6



18.4

18.4





17.3



15.1



17.3

17.0





15.3 14.7



14.2





15.9

16.5



14.8





9.4 8.0 7.4

r

r

7.7

r

8.1

r

8.6 7.7

r

r

= Self

8.4

r

= Good Leader

Chart 1. Female Members of a Midwestern Law Firm (N = 26) Data collected by C. Frankovelgia, April 2000

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r 7.9

r

r= Poor Leader

Group Two Chart 2 presents a group profile for members of another law firm, this time mainly men. Again, the same profile pattern emerged, with the good leaders scoring the highest, then the self, and then the poor leaders. As with the previous sample, these law firm members were participants in a session to assess and improve the quality of leadership within the firm.

18.3 17.5





17.7



17.5 16.8



15.5



15.6



15.3



14.8





16.7



16.4





14.8



15.3

16.8

 

15.6



15.9

14.4



13.8



11.4

r

9.9 9.0

r

8.6

r

r

9.0 8.2

r

r

9.8

r

9.8

r

8.4

r

= Self

= Good Leader

r= Poor Leader

Chart 2. Partners in a Southern Law Firm (N = 31) Data collected by P. Neary, August 2000.

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71

Group Three Group Three contains yet another sample of lawyers, this time from the West Coast. Again, the same good leader, self, poor leader pattern emerged. Of course, within each sample there were substantial differences between individual profiles, but the overall pattern is quite consistent.

18.5



18.0



17.6

 

16.8 15.8



15.9

17.8



16.1





17.1



16.0

17.4



17.9

 

17.6

15.8

 

15.8





16.0

14.4

14.6





12.7

r

11.1

r

10.7

r

9.4

r

8.6

r

8.9

r

10.9

r

r

8.7

r

= Self

= Good Leader

Chart 3. Partners in a West Coast Law Firm (N = 21) Data collected by P. Neary, September 2000.

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9.9

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r= Poor Leader

Group Four Chart 4 reports the profile for fourteen members of the executive management committee of a British financial organization who attended a training session focused on organizational leadership. Even though these individuals were from a much larger organization than the members of the law firms represented by the first three profiles and they were from both a different industry and a different country, the general shape of the profiles was again similar.

18.2 17.6



14.7





15.2



17.7



15.6



18.4

18.4





17.3



15.1



17.3

17.0





15.3 14.7



14.2





15.9

16.5



14.8





9.4 8.0 7.4

r

r

7.7

r

8.1

r

8.6 7.7

r

= Self

r

8.4

r

= Good Leader

r 7.9

r

r= Poor Leader

Chart 4. Executive Management Committee—United Kingdom (N = 14) Data collected by G. Davies, May 2000

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73

Group Five Chart 5 shows the Descriptor profile for twenty-one community leaders who attended a week-long community leadership development program. These individuals held various leadership posts in a mediumsize community. Some were in volunteer positions, some ran their own organizations, some were corporate managers, some worked in nonprofit organizations. In general, no matter what their jobs, they were community oriented, and they all had personal track records of substantial achievements. Even with the substantial variation in employment situations within this group, however, the familiar pattern emerged.

17.6



17.8



16.0 15.0



17.5



15.9



18.2

18.1





17.1

17.0 15.9









15.1





16.6

14.4



12.1

r

 

16.1

r

14.6

16.7 15.4



 r

13.7 13.0

12.3

17.3

r

r

11.5

r

10.5

r

10.0

r

8.7

r

= Self

= Good Leader

Chart 5. Community Leadership Program (N = 21) Data collected by CCL, May 2000.

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r= Poor Leader

Groups Six and Seven Profiles 6 and 7 present data for two small samples from the presidents of two Junior Achievement chapters. Junior Achievement, a national nonprofit organization, focuses on economic training for high school students. These two samples demonstrate that, even with small samples, the familiar profile trends appear, although with some mild sampling differences between the mean scores of the two groups on specific scales. None of the differences was substantial enough to lead to differing interpretations.

18.3



18.4



18.1 17.1

16.1



16.6



17.3





16.0

16.1









17.0



16.4



18.1

18.6

 

17.9

16.9



15.4

15.3

15.1





14.4



r

13.3

r 11.6 10.9 9.7

r

10.4

10.1

r

r

r

r

11.1

r

8.9

r

= Self

= Good Leader

r= Poor Leader

Chart 6. Junior Achievement Presidents (N = 7) Data collected by E. Gomez, May 2000.

Copyright © 2019 Center for Creative Leadership. All rights reserved.

75



18.4



17.2



19.7 17.7



18.3



16.7

18.5



18.2

18.3



17.0

16.9

17.4









18.6

 

17.8

18.6



17.0





17.1



15.5



10.6

r

9.4 8.0

r

7.7

r

8.1

r

8.6

r

7.7

r

= Self

8.4

r

= Good Leader

Chart 7. Junior Achievement Presidents (N = 10) Data collected by E. Gomez, December 2000.

76

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r 7.9

r

r= Poor Leader

Group Eight Chart 8 shows the data for twelve members of a senior management team of a large aerospace company who used the Descriptor as a vehicle for talking about both their individual results and where they as a group fell on these dimensions. The resultant discussion helped them focus on the implications for their organization.

17.7



14.8



17.7

17.3



16.8



17.1



17.0



16.8







14.3





16.8





15.3 14.6

18.0

14.8

14.4





13.9



15.8 13.7



12.6

r

11.9

r

11.0

r 9.3

r



10.8

r

9.6

r

8.9

r

8.2

r

8.8

r

= Self

= Good Leader

r= Poor Leader

Chart 8. Senior Management Team—Aerospace Company (N = 12) Data collected by J. Gurley, September 2000.

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77

Group Nine Chart 9 presents the data for eighteen members of the International Aviation Women’s Association, essentially high-level executives in a wide array of aviation settings, such as airport directors, litigators, journalists, editors, and members of the National Transportation Board. A few held pilot licenses, but their major responsibilities were in the area of aviation management. As can be seen, these women, most of whom were in nationally and internationally responsible positions, rated themselves quite highly in comparison with other good leaders that they had known.

19.1



17.2



15.8



17.5



16.1



17.3

 

16.8

16.7

 

16.6

18.9



17.3

16.8

16.7

 



16.4

 

16.9

15.2

16.3

 

16.2



12.1

r

10.8

r

r

r

8.8

r

7.9

r

9.9

r

9.3

9.3

r

8.3

r

= Self

= Good Leader

Chart 9. International Aviation Women’s Association Members (N = 18) Data collected by C. Frankovelgia, November 2000.

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9.7

Copyright © 2019 Center for Creative Leadership. All rights reserved.

r= Poor Leader

Group Ten The profile in Chart 10 was collected during an imaginative training session focused on gender and leadership; the attendees all were women. The Descriptor was used as part of a longer agenda in the following manner: The facilitator wanted the group to focus on the desirable and undesirable aspects of leadership among men, under the theory that most of the executives that this group would be dealing with on a daily basis were men. Therefore, she asked the respondents to use only men for both their good and poor leaders. In the resulting discussion, she focused on the obvious finding that the differences between the good and poor male leaders were due to their behaviors as good and poor leaders respectively, not to the fact that they were men.

18.5



16.4



17.8

 

17.2

17.5

 

17.0

17.6



16.0



18.0



17.6

 

18.1



16.7



16.8 15.2

17.5

17.4

 



16.6 14.9





11.4

r

11.0 10.1

r

10.1

10.1

r

r

8.6

r

9.6

10.3

r

r

9.7

r

r

= Self

= Good Leader

r= Poor Leader

Chart 10. Executive Women’s Leadership Conference (N = 77) Data collected by E. Johnson, November 2000.

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79

Group Eleven Chart 11 contains the profiles for a sample of substantially younger “leaders,” members of the senior class of a college-level military academy, roughly ages twenty-one to twenty-two. These young people were only a few months from graduation, at which point they would enter the U.S. military services. Although their leadership experience had consisted mainly of student leadership positions held during their four years at the academy, their assessments of good leaders, themselves, and poor leaders reflected the same rank ordering on the Descriptor leadership components as found in older, more experienced adult samples. These data, combined with the other samples above, strongly suggest that the Descriptor is indeed assessing the “universal” components of leadership.

18.5



15.8



18.0





17.6

 

16.8

17.8



16.1



15.9

16.8

 

17.4

17.1





17.9

 

17.0

15.8

16.0

15.8





14.6

14.4





12.7

r

11.1

r

9.4

r

10.9

r

10.7

8.6

r

8.9

r

r

8.7

r

= Self

= Good Leader

Chart 11. Senior Military Cadets in a Leadership Course (N = 36) Data collected by Col. D. Porter, USAF (Ret.)

80

9.9

r

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r= Poor Leader

Overall Profile The final Descriptor profile, shown in Chart 12, confirms the findings shown in all the other groups. When the samples were aggregated, the same general pattern emerged. While it should be emphasized that any individual profile can deviate substantially from these averages, the overall pattern is clear and quite supportive of the conclusion that the Descriptor reflects universal components of leadership that appear in all settings.

18.0



15.6



18.0



16.1



17.5



16.2



17.6



15.9



17.5



17.1



18.1



16.0

15.7





17.5



16.6

16.5





14.9

14.7





11.0 10.6 9.7

r

9.8

9.5

r

r

8.3

r

10.2

r

9.1

r

10.0

r

r

r

= Self

= Good Leader

r= Poor Leader

Chart 12. Overall Profile (N = 273)

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81

Standard Deviations Chart 13 presents the standard deviation of the scores on each of the Descriptor components for each group. These data provide an estimate of how much spread there is among the various scores making up each average. Larger standard deviations reflect a wider range of score distributions, while smaller standard deviations reflect a reduced spread. As a rough guideline, roughly 98 percent of the scores on any given component will fall within plus or minus two standard deviations from the mean. The data in Chart 13 show the distributions of individual scores for good leader and self to be approximately similar. The scores generally range over a ten-point spread, that is, four standard deviations. They are, in general, spread over roughly two-thirds of the maximum possible range, from the lowest possible score of 5 to the highest possible score of 20 on each component. Even though the averages were quite consistent over the various components and samples, there were considerable variations among the individual cases. There was even more variation among the scores of the poor leaders, where the standard deviations were as much as 50 percent larger. This means that there was much less uniformity in the perception of the behaviors of poor leaders. Although the overall profile was always low, there were indeed many poor leaders who were seen as having at least some redeeming qualities.

82

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4

3.8

r

3.5 3.25 3

3.5

3.2

r

r

3.2

r

3.2

2.9

2.8

r

r

3.7

r

r

3.4

2.75

3.2



 

2.8

3.1



2.7



2.5 2.25

2.2

2.0

2.2

1.75

r

3.7

3.75

 

2.1

 

2.3

2.3

2.3

2.3

 

 

2.3

2.3



 

2.2

2.2

 

2.2

2.0

1.5 1.25 1.0 .75 .25 0

= Self

= Good Leader

r= Poor Leader

Chart 13. Standard Deviations of the Scoring Scales Over All Samples

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83

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Appendix G: Suggested Resources Center for Creative Leadership. (2014). Experience explorer™. Greensboro, NC: Author. Gryskiewicz, S. (1999). Positive turbulence: Developing climates for creativity, innovation, and renewal. San Francisco, CA: Jossey Bass. Hallenbeck, G. (2016). Learning agility: Unlock the lessons of experience. Greensboro, NC: Center for Creative Leadership. Lombardo, M.M., & Eichinger, R.W. (2009). For your improvement™: A development and coaching guide (5th ed.). Minneapolis, MN: Lominger International. McCall, M.W., Jr., Lombardo, M.M., & Morrison, A.M. (1988). The lessons of experience: How successful executives develop on the job. Lexington, MA: Lexington Books. McCauley, C.D., DeRue, D.S., Yost, P.R., & Taylor, S. (2014). Experience-driven leader development: Models, tools, best practices, and advice for on-the-job development. San Francisco, CA: John Wiley and Sons. McCauley, C.D. (2006). Developmental assignments: Creating learning experiences without changing jobs. Greensboro, NC: Center for Creative Leadership. Scisco, P., McCauley, C.D., Leslie, J.B., & Elsey, R. (2014). Change now! Five steps to better leadership. Greensboro, NC: Center for Creative Leadership. Wei, R.R., & Yip, J. (2008). Leadership wisdom: Discovering the lessons of experience. Greensboro, NC: Center for Creative Leadership. Van Velsor, E. (2013). Broadening your organizational perspective. Greensboro, NC: Center for Creative Leadership.

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About the Author DAVID CAMPBELL is the H. Smith Richardson Fellow Emeritus at the Center for Creative Leadership, where he engaged in research and teaching in the area of leadership for over thirty years. He had regular contact in the classroom with a wide range of managers and leaders from corporate, governmental, military, and nonprofit sectors. The Center’s Leadership at the Peak course, for which Campbell was a co-designer, was cited in 1999 and again in 2001 by Business Week survey respondents and Bricker’s International Directory as the number one short-term leadership development course for top executives in America. He has conducted leadership training sessions in a wide array of U.S. settings and in Peru, the Philippines, Saudi Arabia, Mexico, Australia, Switzerland, Canada, and the United Kingdom. He has been a visiting research fellow at the University of London and a distinguished visiting professor at the U.S. Air Force Academy. He was awarded an honorary doctorate by the University of Colorado in 1998. In 2001, he received The Distinguished Professional Contributions Award from the Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology (SIOP).

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About the Center for Creative Leadership The Center for Creative Leadership (CCL®) is a top-ranked, global provider of leadership development. By leveraging the power of leadership to drive results that matter most to clients, CCL transforms individual leaders, teams, organizations, and society. Our array of cutting-edge solutions is steeped in extensive research and experience gained from working with hundreds of thousands of leaders at all levels. Ranked among the world’s Top 5 providers of executive education by Financial Times and in the Top 10 by Bloomberg BusinessWeek, CCL has offices in Greensboro, NC; Colorado Springs, CO; San Diego, CA; Brussels, Belgium; Moscow, Russia; Addis Ababa, Ethiopia; Johannesburg, South Africa; Singapore; Gurgaon, India; and Shanghai, China.

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87

TEACH THE PRINCIPLES OF LEADERSHIP USING THIS STRUCTURED APPROACH Before you can help others develop their leadership skills and abilities, you must first help them to recognize strengths and identify areas in which they need to improve. The Campbell Leadership Descriptor was developed to achieve just that. Designed specifically for use in those situations where comprehensive analysis of leadership characteristics is useful—such as leadership development seminars, classroom discussions, and on-on-one coaching—the Campbell Leadership Descriptor provides a personalized assessment with a minimum of administrative complexity. This Facilitator’s Guide includes the detailed information you need to prepare for and conduct a leadership workshop for a group of any size. It includes: • • • • • •

Instructions for scoring the Descriptor and interpreting the scores A useful sample of a completed Descriptor Handy guidelines to help you prepare for a workshop A step-by-step “script” you can follow to conduct the workshop Master copies of PowerPoint slides Illustrative case studies, a list of suggested resources, and much more

“I have used the Campbell leadership Descriptor with managers from most of the Western European countries. It helps to focus participants on thier own leadership behavior, and to identify areas for development. In subsequent classroom discussions, they get suggestions from others in developing their own action plans. The CLD has worked well for this purpose.” —Elizabeth Weldon, professor of organizational behavior, International Institute for Managerial Development, Lousanne, Switzerland “The Campbell Leadership Descriptor was a critical component in the formulation of personal leadership development plans for our chief staff officers and executive directors. By identifying the characteristics for successful leadership, our participants were motivated to begin a journey of self-refelction and analysis of their own leadership strengths and shortcomings. The diagnostic tool set the stage to further leverage strengths and improve upon weaknesses.” —Elfego Gomez III, national director of training and development, Junior Achievement, Inc. THE AUTHOR DAVID CAMPBELL is the H. Smith Richardson Fellow Emeritus at the Center for Creative Leadership, where he engaged in research and teaching in the area of leadership for over thirty years. He had regular contact in the classroom with a wide range of managers and leaders from corporate, governmental, military, and nonprofit sectors. The Center’s Leadership at the Peak course, for which Campbell was a co-designer, was cited in 1999 and again in 2001 by Business Week survey respondents and Bricker’s International Directory as the number one short-term leadership development course for top executives in America. He has conducted leadership training sessions in a wide array of U.S. settings and in Peru, the Philippines, Saudi Arabia, Mexico, Australia, Switzerland, Canada, and the United Kingdom. He has been a visiting research fellow at the University of London and a distinguished visiting professor at the U.S. Air Force Academy. He was awarded an honorary doctorate by the University of Colorado in 1998. In 2001, he received The Distinguished Professional Contributions Award from The Society of Industrial and Organizational Psychology (SIOP).

88

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