Leadership by Design: Architecting Effective Organisational Structures
Posted on Nov 12, 2023 at 11:11 PM
What if I told you that the key to becoming a truly remarkable leader lies in chance or circumstance and the deliberate act of embracing leadership by design?
In an industry that often focuses on natural talent and charisma, it is easy to believe that effective leadership is a matter of luck or innate abilities. However, behind every great leader lies a blueprint, carefully crafted and refined through self-awareness, strategy, and intentionality.
Today, we're here to closely examine leadership by design and how you can use it in your business today.
What is leadership by design?
Leadership by design involves a purposeful, deliberate management process through which individuals develop as leaders throughout their careers. At its heart, leadership by design involves strategically developing an individual’s leadership skills using constant learning and adapting.
Excellent leaders who adopt the philosophy of leadership by design view themselves as lifelong students. They have great self-awareness about who they are, their strengths, weaknesses, values, and how they impact others.
Through this self-awareness, they can play to their strengths and consider how their capacity changes over time. Leaders understand that different situations necessitate different leadership approaches; that's why a leader by design is forever a student trying to equip themself with powerful strategies, knowledge and tools to be a good founder and manager.
Tips to improve your leadership by design
Leading by design is focused on refining your skills and strategies to impact your lifelong experience. Through strategic challenges, experiences, training (like diploma courses in London) and coaching opportunities, leaders hone their judgement, decision-making skills and capability to connect with diverse talent.
Here are a few tips to help you improve your leadership by design program:
Define Your mission
Just as all architects and designers envision a structure before they build it, you should begin by understanding your leadership vision and purpose.
In particular, this approach is centred around asking and answering the right questions like:
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What impact do you aspire to create as a CEO?
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How do you envision your ideal employees evolving under your guidance?
Start by planning for the future, defining unique goals, and supporting your beliefs about leadership and management.
Craft your core values.
Now that you've got the primary goal of your leadership by design in hand, it's time to think about the details. While senior executive managers and other stakeholders might try to influence your decisions, a remarkable leader understands the importance of aligning their actions with their core values. Take the time to identify the non-negotiable principles to you and assert them through meetings, etc..
Embrace continuous learning
Leaders who strive for greatness understand that growth is a lifelong journey and happens across multiple categories of work. Here are our tips to make sure you have a good strategy when it comes to learning:
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Cultivate a thirst for knowledge and innovation.
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Seek out opportunities to expand your skills.
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Embrace any challenge that comes your way.
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Foster a learning culture within your team where everyone feels encouraged to share their insights.
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Experiment with new ideas and learn from failures.
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Enhance your leadership skills through courses and training.
Nurture authentic connections
Social relationships with people in the community and authentic human connections constitute strong pillars of transformational leadership. Spend some time creating networks of friends, peers, and professionals. Listen actively, show empathy, and create a culture where people feel comfortable being open and honest with one another in trusting communicative contexts like family.
Remember, the most influential leaders are not distant figures on a pedestal but mentors who are approachable and good at connecting with their followers on a personal level.
Lead by example
As you design your leadership development approach, you must remember that actions speak louder than words.
You’re a leader, and leaders lead by example. It’s common sense that you should embody the qualities and behaviours you wish to see in others because your actions matter more than your stories. Providing a solid example through your behaviour supports your claims more than talking ever could.
Practice adaptability
In a rapidly evolving world, visionary leadership requires a willingness to adapt and be creative. Be open to change, embrace new technologies and innovative practices, and encourage your team to do the same.
All in all
Leadership by design is not a matter of luck but a deliberate choice and conscious commitment to growth. By embracing leadership by design, you unlock the potential to create a legacy of influence, inspiration, and lasting impact.
