Stephen Josephs, consultant and executive coach.

Four elements of agility Stephen Josephs has identified a model of agility that can be applied to any system or situation. A system can be an individual, your own immune system, your team, a company, or a country. An agile system is one that can respond in the moment and contains four elements, including: Outcome: There is a well-defined outcome to be achieved. Feedback: That lets you know whether you’re getting that outcome or not. Flexibility: To do something else when you’re not getting the outcome you want. Reflective Capacity: To step back and re-think things, perhaps to change the level of play of your game, or your whole approach. The ability to think of good outcomes, to get feedback, for flexible action, and to reflect gets more robust and increases through each stage of leadership agility.

What characteristics distinguish an exemplary leader? For world-renowned consultant Stephen Josephs, the most effective leaders employ specific thought processes that allow them to outperform others. This “master competency” revolves around agility, which can be developed to achieve sustained business success through five distinct stages of leadership.

The co-author of “Leadership Agility: Five Levels of Mastery for Anticipating and Initiating Change” brought stories, research studies, and his guitar to demonstrate his leadership agility concepts to the Retail Consortium for Management Education on March 28 in an event co-sponsored with Santa Clara University’s Executive Development Center.

Josephs told the large group consisting of a mix of industries about learning how to play golf with his father. “Golf is a mental game. (You need to be able to) hit the ball without interference. Tension interferes with agility…. Golf and business have something in common. They both have an inner and outer game. In order to succeed, in order to win, in order to be agile in response to changing conditions, you need to master this inner and outer game.

“Changing from a less agile leader to a highly agile leader happens much more easily than people imagine. I have clients that make that transition all the time—regularly, predictably,” says Josephs, who has 25 years of executive coaching experience. “So why can you do that in such an effective way? I have a map of how that inner and outer game—that agility—changes and develops from one stage into the next stage.”

Josephs introduced participants to his map, so they could identify their own level of leadership and begin to accelerate their development. He discussed the first three levels of leadership agility, consisting of the Expert, the Achiever, and the Catalyst.

Experts represent about 45 percent of leaders, and have a tactical and problem-solving orientation. Experts believe leaders are respected and followed because of their expertise, knowledge, and authority. They like to do things themselves and find it hard to delegate their work. It’s best for them to work alone.

Achievers account for about 35 percent, and have a more strategic, “take the hill” type of orientation. Achievers believe leaders are people who motivate others, making it challenging and satisfying to contribute to larger objectives. Achievers like to persuade others, and to excite people about doing things. They use groups well to orchestrate meetings to come up with solutions.

The Expert and the Achiever think they are heroic, that they are solely responsible for the success of the enterprise.

Catalysts are visionaries. They use the intelligence of the group to really get things going. They believe in empowering others and actively helping in their development. Incredible talent scouts, they believe leaders articulate an innovative and inspiring vision, and they bring together the right people to transform that vision into reality. Catalysts don’t think they have all the answers. They show appreciation and give a great deal of feedback. “They really listen, they’re not just reloading,” says Josephs.

“What do we want from a leader? We want to be seen as who we are, we want to feel that we’re being understood. We want their blessing; we want to be appreciated. If they have the power to do it, we want them to remove roadblocks to our success,” says Josephs.

“Executive presence really is….relaxation inside yourself. The ability to drop your self and look into the other person. Now we’re talking about what happens at the Catalyst level and beyond. A Catalyst, through deeper understanding and connection with others, gains the power to make visions a reality.”

Josephs says that by adjusting your physiology, your agility will improve. Mind-body disciplines, deep breathing, interrupting adrenaline rushes, and smiling to alter mood can all affect your own system to achieve an executive presence.

Participants paired up and practiced listening like a Catalyst. “To listen like a Catalyst, make your breath longer and deeper, more relaxed. Smile. Listen deeply. When ideas come to you, let them go. Don’t judge or come to premature conclusions. Just listen and respond.”

A particular Catalyst skill is based on the ability to reverse roles with someone else in a meaningful way, to feel what it’s like to be that other person. Josephs showed what a Catalyst would do in a situation involving a difficult performance review.

“Instead of just reading the person the Riot Act, ask them what they want to achieve. Help them create a development plan that is meaningful to them and good for the company. If the person ends up staying, they will be loyal forever. You can change their life if you give them a new way to operate that allows them to contribute more of who they are.

“When you’re developing somebody, there has to be the right amount of challenge and support. It has to be the right mixture,” says Josephs.

“For the people that I coach, I want their leadership to make a difference and I want them to enjoy who they become in the process of responding to the challenges that are in front of them.”

To find out more and take a free power style survey, visit: www.leadershipagility.com

Cynthia Gamage Associate Director- RMI, Program Director- RCME

Retail Consortium for Management Education The Institute’s series of programs offered through the Retail Consortium for Management Education (RCME) focuses on seminars that are designed to bring leading-edge concepts that are important to senior management. Through the seminars, RCME members have access to powerful speakers and pertinent programs that get to the heart of current leadership and management concerns in their organizations. More information on RCME programs or call Cynthia Gamage at 408.554.4961

Retail Management Institute - Santa Clara University
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