June 2010

The Five Dimensions of Leadership
By Myles R. Golden

Occasionally I think that in my twelve years of career transition and outplacement consulting and coaching, that surely I have heard about every story there is relative to leadership or the lack of leadership in an organization. It seems that some businesses just seem to succeed in spite of their leadership.  The recent debacle in the Gulf Coast has created an even greater interest in just what is leadership anyway? What I have observed in my forty years of management and community service is that there is no doubt in my mind that an organization, whether private or public, needs different types of leadership at various stages of their existence. All businesses and organizations are in a life cycle just as we humans.
   
Pondering this subject, which coincided with a need for a Monday morning roundtable program, Ann Golden brought to my attention a webinar posted on the www.CPP.com website entitled The Five Dimensions of Leadership. CPP is a world leader in personality, career, and organizational development assessments. So I went there and found quite a bit of study has been done on leadership, and the writer, Scott Campbell, says it this way:
There are five dimensions of leadership:

1. The Commanding Dimension - Taking charge and seeking immediate results. Using this dimension, one is seeking a quick result and gives clear direction in an emergency or crisis. This leader will require immediate compliance to his/her orders. Generally this type of leader will sooth people insecurities. 
   
   
2. The Visioning Dimension - Creating and effectively communicating a clear and compelling picture of a worthwhile future. This leader will move people towards shared goals/dreams and will unite a group around a significant challenge by creating enthusiasm and motivation. Quite often, organizations need a new vision because doing business the same old way is just not working.  I’m reminded of Martin Luther King’s famous “I Have a Dream” quote:  “I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character.” Dr. King was using The Visioning Dimension.
   
   
3. The Enrolling Dimension - Creating buy-in and commitment by genuinely seeking input and/ or employing consensus decision-making processes. A valuable skill when you need buy-in, improved quality or need input to make a sound decision.
   
   
4. The Relating Dimension - Creating and sustaining strong relationships between (1) you and individual staff members; and (2) between staff members and themselves. This dimension is all about creating harmony and a sense of togetherness and community. Using this dimension one would increase the flow and quality of communication in the group.
   
   
5. The Coaching Dimension - Developing an individual’s potential and performance while aligning his/her goals and values to those of the organization. Good coaching should connect a person’s desires and talents to the group’s goals. Coaching can extend the group’s goals and improve quality of production or service by members of the organization.

In summary, Scott Campbell says: “You don’t need a personality transplant to be a great leader. You need to learn to leverage your strengths into all five dimensions. Ultimately, effective leadership is achieving results through people’s willing participation.“