At Scholar Executive Group, our goal is to help you create wisdom around balancing the we and the me in order to thrive personally and professionally. The Differentiated Leadership model is designed to teach you how to combine awareness, knowledge and change in order to generate consistent, positive results for your business. Click to learn more.
The stressors of todays work environments take a toll on a leaders ability to perform at the highest levels. They need a new way to see and address these growing challenges.
Scholar Executive Group developed the Differentiated Leader model to teach executives how to think and function beyond existing boundaries in order to better manage and engage a diverse work force to drive bottom line results.
The foundation of our model shows leaders where their performance is inhibited and provides a new understanding for how to move forward. It is best described as learning the process of balancing two of lifes most innate forces: the need to be connected (together, we) and the need to be an individual (autonomy, me).
In leadership roles, these two forces tend to push against each other, often resulting in internal and/or external conflict. The process of differentiation requires that you first recognize which end of this infinite loop you favor most (we or me), and then begin moving towards the middle point on a more consistent basis.
The exact center point in the infinity loop is known as the cruciblethe balance point between we and me. This crucible does not exist as a static point, but rather as a dynamic range around the center of the loop. Awareness of this range, and the knowledge to live in it, is what enables differentiated leaders to regain balance more quickly when circumstances push them outside of it.
In the crucible, one is continually balancing the two extremes of we and me: fusion (you and I are one) and separation (I must isolate from you). Leaders that have learned to thrive in the crucible know how to manage people effectively, embrace challenging opposition and empower unmotivated employees without pushing to either extreme. In short, these differentiated leaders know how to lead in the midst of challenge because they are able to recalibrate their actions more quickly during conflict or against opposition.
They are aware when the effect of the infinity loop pushes them out of the crucible and towards one extreme or the other. These leaders respond by embracing the equation of awareness + knowledge = change.
True awareness is created when you can see yourself and what extremeindividuality or togethernessyou are experiencing in the loop, as well as the external force, challenge or adversity working to propel you towards this extreme. Viewing from this high-level perspective, you can identify the individual components to correct, as well as any that are out of your control.
These insights, about both yourself and the outside situations impacting your ability to thrive in the crucible, allow you to more easily develop specific skills and techniques for dealing with the force, challenge or adversity presenting itself (i.e. conflict management, motivational leadership, appropriate responses, etc.).
You seek knowledge for each aspect of the problem in the form of research, reading, advice, strategic planning sessionsbasically any activity that results in learning how to deal with the issues and situations at hand. Once acquired, it becomes your most powerful tool as an effective leader because knowledge does not rely on emotional responses or impulsivity.
Rather, knowledge allows us to be cognizant of all of the different things that are influencing our decision. It gives us the ability to choose how and when we are going to act. Using knowledge, executives are able to make the decisions that will lead towards lasting change at both the personal and organizational level.
Change is ultimately the byproduct of awareness regarding the bigger picture and possession of the necessary knowledge to address the individual aspects of the problem. The most effective leaders empower lasting change in themselves and organizations through their return to the crucible.
Excellence in leadership is learning to thrive in that crucible, the balanced point of ones life. Your levels of awareness are dynamic; the more knowledge you gain, the smaller your crucible point becomes resulting in more lasting change. This differentiation is what allows a remarkable leader to function at their highest level of excellence.
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