MODERN LEADERSHIP
Why overcoming the 12
leadership derailers require a
focus on intention not behaviour
By Anneli Blundell
L
eadership derailers are part
of every great leadership
journey. Leaders must look
beyond behaviours, and engage
in development conversations
targeting the intentions that drive
the observable behaviours. With
real-time coaching and performance
feedback that acknowledges,
elevates and leverages inside
intentions, leaders can develop
skills effectively, on the job.
38 ModernBusiness
February 2016
It’s not just about strengths
Engagement specialists like
Gallup, and positive psychologists
like Martin Seligman have built a
compelling case for focusing on
strengths. Their research tells us
that focusing on strengths improves
engagement, satisfaction and
performance in the workplace; it
fuels people’s internal fires and
significantly impacts organisational
results. Yet in harsh reality,
derailers get in the way. It’s like
driving a high-performance vehicle
with one foot on the accelerator and
one on the brake—until the brake is
released, the car will never reach
top speed.
It’s easier to ignore behaviours
that threaten to derail leadership,
in favour of a strengths focus.
Developing leadership requires
more than focusing on strengths;
it requires leaders to overcome
derailers by focusing on intention