Bootstrap Leadership Blog

Whether you’ve been a leader for two years or twenty, you’ve learned a lot of what you know through experience.  The lessons of experience are the best kind, really – you learn by doing, by making mistakes and adjusting your behavior accordingly. The more times you see a certain leadership situation, the better chance you have of responding to it with patience, skill and confidence. 

While there’s no substitute for experience, there is something that can enhance your leadership capability - a working knowledge of the classic leadership models, frameworks and theories. If you want to excel at setting strategy, managing people, and get things done, you need to know something about the origins of human behavior.  In fact, I believe there are certain models and theories that every leader should know (see the list, below).  This list includes frameworks on strategy, marketing, communications, decision making, etc., and is meant for leaders at all levels.  If you become familiar with these 25 models, you’ll have a well-rounded perspective on the underlying foundations of leadership. 

Studying the classic models, frameworks and theories of leadership isn’t just for “leadership nerds” – if you’re serious about becoming a true student of leadership, you should know the basics of human behavior.  And you should teach them to your team. Try this - in your regular staff meetings, take one theory a week and discuss it as a group.  One approach is to make it a development assignment for your team members, and have them do the research and lead the discussion.  However you end up using the knowledge, make an effort to learn the theories and models that shape your world as a people manager.  By the way, give yourself a little quiz before you click away from this column.  How many of these theories are you familiar with?  Which ones could you describe right now?   

The 25 Leadership Theories Every Manager Needs to Know

1. Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs
2. Herzberg’s Two Factor Theory
3. McClelland’s Theory of Needs
4. Attribution Theory
5. Model of Personal Power
6. Theory X, Theory Y
7. Situational Leadership
8. Servant Leadership
9. Emotional Intelligence
10. Leadership Pipeline
11. Smart Goals
12. Appreciative Inquiry
13. Johari Window
14. 9-Box
15. RACI
16. SWOT Analysis
17. Strategic Intent
18. 7-S Framework
19. Balanced Scorecard
20. Five Forces
21. 3 Levels of Culture
22. Groupthink Theory
23. Kaizen
24. 4 P’s of Marketing
25. Product Life Cycle

What if there was a common set of “rules” for leading others?  What if leaders could be held accountable to a few simple standards of behavior?   What if employees had a universal set of expectations they could look forward to (or demand) from their leaders?  Doesn’t this sound like something we should get excited about?

Let’s pretend that we could get Congress to pass this set of rules as a universal series of “rights” for all employees.  Let’s also say that organizations bought into this concept fully – and starting holding leaders accountable for these simple behaviors. Wouldn’t that make for some interesting behavior change on the part of bad bosses everywhere?  Maybe there could even be a standard set of consequences for leaders – ignore one of the employee rights, and you’re reprimanded.  Break two, and there goes your bonus.  Break three and you’re fired, immediately.  Think that might get managers’ attention?

Here’s my Employee Bill of Rights:

1. Everyone has the right to a clear and compelling vision – we want to know where we’re going, and we want that place to be cool and meaningful.
2. Everyone gets to participate in setting the strategy – we all get a say in how we’re going to accomplish the mission.
3. Everyone deserves timely and useful performance feedback – tell us how we’re doing, and how we can get better… oh, and make the annual performance review really honest, fair and robust.  
4. Everyone gets to contribute ideas and innovations – ask us for input!
5. Everyone gets frequent, honest communication – tell us what you know, when you know it.
6. Everyone deserves to be empowered – give us high (but fair) expectations… we want to do things right.  But give us the resources and time to do great things, and let us do it our way as much as possible.
7. Everyone wants to be recognized for great performance – praise us when we do great stuff… we respond well to positive reinforcement.
8. Everyone wants career development – help us stretch, grow and move up in the organization.
9. Everyone deserves a mature, professional workplace – we want a work environment that is full of class, where everything is done with a strong values and a high degree of excellence.
10. Everyone is respected and valued as individuals - no more harassment, stupid rules, or ridiculous management habits.  Say thank you (a lot), and bring out the best in everyone.

That’s my wish list for holding leaders accountable to the right behaviors – what do you think?  

Let’s say you learn that your best employee is thinking of leaving the company for a rival firm. Or maybe you don't want her to retire at the end of the year.  Or maybe you've promised her a move or a new assignment, and now you've changed your mind – you believe it's best that she stay in her current role. Here’s the question – should you be leveraging her peers to help you influence her decisions?

A fascinating example of positive peer pressure played out this week when the Minnesota Vikings (my team) dispatched three players to Mississippi to beg Brett Favre to return for a 20th NFL season. That’s right, management asked three team leaders to skip practice and fly down on a private jet to twist the arm of the legendary 40-year old QB, with a very clear message – we need you, man. Do it for the team. We want you back. Favre apparently couldn’t say no to his friends and teammates, so he’s back under center and ready to lead the Vikes to a Super Bowl. (By the way, when that happens, and it will, I’ll be writing the mother of all leadership columns – I'm just saying, is all.  Just wanted to warn you).

So, is this a charming story of brotherhood and friendship, or a shrewd move by management? I suppose it’s a little of both, but it raises an interesting question in my mind about whether we as leaders can and should be leveraging peers more often as a strategy for getting people to develop, change behavior, make decisions, etc. It certainly seems counter to the direct approach that I favor - building a strong relationship with your direct reports, where you can say anything you need to on any topic. But I wonder… especially as it relates to trying to neutralize a potential career derailer, I can see the power of asking trusted peers to reinforce your messages, after you’ve had a frank discussion with the employee.

I’m going to think about this some more – the idea of leveraging peers to get what you want as a manager seems like a high wire act to me… you better be living in a glass house of integrity and trust if you’re going to deploy this strategy. But let’s say you are on that level – what interesting possibilities does this open up for you as a leader? Where do you use this tactic, and why? What does it do to your credibility as the leader, and what are the ramifications down the road?  What power does this assign to the team, and is that a bad thing?  Can you do it more than once with the same employee?  Do the peers then expect to be consulted and leveraged again and again?  Fascinating questions, really.