The Leadership Triangle

When you think about developing leadership skills, for yourself or others, picture a triangle. Draw a triangle on a piece of paper and label the three points: education, experience and feedback.

Let’s start the triangle with the first point: Education.

I think most of us would agree that the foundation of a leadership training program is education.  However, I think that’s an incomplete assumption. What we gain from education is an understanding of the fundamental theories in a historical framework. In other words, a standardized body of knowledge for the discipline being studied. We rely on our college and university systems to deliver this foundation.

Your formal education helps you to think differently about the challenges you are facing. It becomes your intellectual experiences that determine your day to day work activities. Education broadens your thoughts and views by introducing you to general theories and principles that you’ll use to formulate situational conclusions.

Education and professional development courses or programs include reading and discussing, books, e-books, articles, seminars, best practices and audio and video programs by well know experts.

Use your education and professional development knowledge to help you think outside the box and adapt to a changing environment. You will never again accept that that’s the way we’ve always done it.

Education alone is not enough to develop your current and future leaders.

Let’s move on to the second element of the triangle: Experience.

We’ve all heard the expression “experience is the best teacher.” But is it really? Not without education and feedback.

What’s the best way to get good experience?

I believe it’s best developed by assigning a task to the individual or team when the task is completed according to standards, the level of difficulty in the next task is increased. Applying this process increases performance and sets a high standard of excellence. By increasing the level of difficulty or stress over time, your subordinates will gain competence and confidence.  Experience comes from requiring the right training in the right way to perform the task, plus practice, practice, practice, in short repetition.  There is an element of risk on your part if the individual or team does not meet standards, since as the leader, you are responsible. This is not necessarily a bad thing. When the mind is put under stress, the mind releases a chemical that fosters learning.

I became a believer in combining the three elements of education, experience and feedback in the training process as a culinary student at Johnson and Wales University.  From 6 AM to 8 AM, we would study the history and theory of cooking, then from 8 AM to 11 AM we would be assigned menu items to cook for lunch, and then serve the meal at 11:30 AM.  AT 1 PM we received feedback from the Chef Instructor and students.  It was a process that kept you humble, with a level of stress that drove you to perform according to standards.

Be on guard for poor repetition and practice it is just as habit forming as good repetition and practice. Experience alone is not enough to gain leadership competence and good judgment.

The third element of the leadership triangle is my favorite: Feedback.

Feedback allows the leader to use their experience and education to guide, teach and mentor their subordinates. Leaders must actively search for opportunities to give and receive feedback. It is critical to your success that subordinates always know where they stand and how to improve their performance. In my judgment, feedback offers the leader the greatest opportunity to teach and mentor in a collaborative way by building trust, confidence and rapport with your subordinates.

Feedback comes in various forms: face-to-face discussion or instruction, written reports, e-mails, hands on demonstrations, counseling, letters of appreciation, performance reviews and role playing, or a simple thank you, to name a few.

We spend far too much time giving negative feedback. For feedback to be successful, it must complete a circle. It is not enough to tell an employee what was done wrong or what could be improved. Catch your employees doing things right then reinforce their positive actions. Your staff will perform well those tasks that you pay attention too. Ask yourself the following questions; is the feedback timely, specific, understandable, accurate, controllable, given by someone who the employee respects, and demonstrates your desire for the employee to be successful?

Bring out the best in others by displaying what is best in you. Use the leadership triangle as your guide. Great leaders invest considerable time and energy developing subordinates for successful leadership assignments.

By including the three elements of the leadership triangle: education, experience and feedback in your leadership development, you create a holistic view of your assessments to accomplish the mission and improve the organization.

Your goal should be to create a leader with well-rounded skills: excellent people skills first and foremost, and solid technical skills.

Be a leader who is remembered for a lifetime because you made a positive impact on the people you led.

I’ll see you in the front row of success.