Marketing & Design

Modeling & Delegation

The Simple Way to Effectively Expand Leadership Capabilities in the Workplace

by: Dr. Kreslyn Kelley-Ellis Authentic Leadership Series

Today, globalization and the influx of millennial workers has required a myriad of changes in the workplace. The economic, social, and cultural impact of these changes reaches across the globe across all sectors.

Leadership is an art. It takes people who have the tendency to listen actively, work collaboratively, and make decisions courageously. These leaders are open-minded visionaries who excel at mobilizing others toward a common goal.

This level of diversity has interfered with the way companies traditionally approach leading and managing: Firms are now striving to subscribe to newer and more relevant leadership models. In turn, this requires leaders to adapt their skills to handle the complexities of engaging and leading employees that are unique from colleagues of the past. Many U.S. companies must devote a large portion of their annual budget to leadership development. According to Gurdjian, Halbeisen and Lane (2014), businesses cumulatively spend about $14 billion annually on leadership development, and many will continue to make it a priority well into the future.

While some fortune 500 companies have no problem allocating funds for professional development, others still grapple with how to develop leaders in the absence of a budget.

Yet, they are equally impacted by the recent shift in demographics and are actively looking for ways to both engage with each other and secure their future. Overcoming this logistic obstacle is a challenge for any business. But there is good news: There are ways to develop leaders regardless of the size of your budget. This method is called modeling and delegating. According to the theory of social learning, people acquire behaviors based on observing and experiencing others in their environments. Individuals are more likely to emulate behaviors that appear to reap rewards. Therefore, if subordinates are exposed to continuous abusive leadership, it is likely they will replicate the aggressive behaviors, especially they see others' negative behavior rewarded.

The reverse is also true. When effective leadership is modeled and rewarded, subordinates will mimic the positive behavior. This phenomenon is referred to as "social contagion."

With this understanding, if great leadership practices are highlighted and celebrated in an inclusive environment, then delegating to those in lower- level positions becomes easier. Delegation improves workload efficiency and assures subordinates that leaders believe in their ability to take on higher functions. Thus, subordinates feel empowered to accept even more challenging responsibilities.

Of course, when delegating tosubordinates, there are still severalconsiderations to keep in mind:

1) High-priority responsibilities should becompleted by the leaders to whom theduties belong.

2) Leaders should be familiar with the strengths and challenges of each subordinate and delegate responsibilities that will ensure everyone’s success.

3) Assigned tasks should present a challenge to the designee. Delegation becomes easier over time as followers grow their capabilities and can take on more demanding responsibilities. Following these guidelines will promote positive teamwork that propels everyone closer to the vision. Remember, when followers see others acquire more responsibilities and consequently receive praise and recognition, they are likely to desire to do so as well.

Consistently modeling effective leadership and delegating challenging tasks is a great combination for developing leadership capacity at no cost. Simply model, delegate, and pass the torch.