Executives are expected to produce results, but the way they achieve them has evolved. The focus has shifted from heroic individual leadership to empowering and enabling employees, requiring strong people skills. Many executives struggle to adapt to this new reality, but we’ve identified a three-stage journey, inspired by Joseph Campbell’s concept of the “Hero’s Journey” from his book “The Hero with a Thousand Faces”, to help leaders develop the necessary skills for today’s environment.
Stage One: The Departure (Call to Adventure)
The departure stage marks the beginning of the leader’s transformation, akin to Campbell’s “Call to Adventure.” Here, they recognize the need for change and intentionally leave behind their familiar ways of working. A study conducted by Spencer Stuart, a top leadership advisory firm, highlights the importance of self-awareness and adaptability in leaders, as they must become more people-centric and relinquish control.
Stage Two: The Voyage (Trials and Challenges)
During the voyage, leaders face trials and obstacles that teach them valuable lessons and pave the way for personal growth. This stage parallels Campbell’s “Road of Trials” in the Hero’s Journey. This transitional phase pushes leaders out of their comfort zones and forces them to confront their own limitations. In a study of 75 CEO successions involving 235 candidates from 2009 to 2019, researchers found that executives who were able to overcome challenges during this stage demonstrated stronger people skills and delivered better results for their organizations.
Stage Three: The Return (Master of Two Worlds)
In the return stage, leaders have a newfound understanding of their role and the kind of leader they aspire to be. They begin to apply the people skills they’ve acquired and share their learnings with others, much like the “Master of Two Worlds” in Campbell’s Hero’s Journey. Research shows that by embracing a more enabling and empowering style, leaders can inspire and motivate their teams, fostering a culture of collaboration, innovation, and psychological safety. A study by Google’s Project Aristotle found that high-performing teams often had leaders who focused on building psychological safety, enabling open communication, and promoting collaboration.
Developing people skills is a continuous, often uncomfortable process that unfolds over time. By embarking on this three-stage journey leaders can successfully transition from a directive approach to one that empowers and enables their employees, ultimately unlocking the full potential of their organization and themselves in the process.
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