Why Self-Awareness Is Essential in Organizing Leadership

Among all the leadership styles that exist-and their many hybrid forms-organizational leadership has been gaining significant ground in recent years. This is especially true among managers who have several years of experience and want to continue developing their skills. This can create a more pleasant work environment for organizations, teams, and individual employees, one in which they can perform better. Good self-awareness and a Leadership Operating System (LOS) make this leadership style particularly powerful.

Challenges in Leadership Development

Companies and the (work) environment in which they operate have become increasingly complex over the years. This is reflected in the areas of focus that managers at various organizational levels must address. These include operational processes, innovation, team development, networking, and, for example, sustainability or fostering individual career development. Given all these areas of focus and the critical importance of effective leadership, leadership development is becoming increasingly vital. After all, as a manager, you want to be sure you’re always making the right decisions. This is also reflected in the many leadership styles that exist. A modern manager often needs to be able to switch between them. At one moment, an authoritative approach may be needed, while the next moment calls for a more coaching-oriented or connecting style of leadership. This can be overwhelming-after all, when exactly do you choose which role to adopt? And don’t we sometimes make things too complex in organizations? The rise of organizational leadership is making the field a lot clearer again.

What is organizing leadership?

Organizational leadership is a management approach in which leaders help set strategic organizational goals while motivating teams and individual employees to successfully carry out tasks to achieve those goals. The “organizational leader” is strongly focused on the organization’s strategy and objectives, but also pays close attention to the specific skills and qualities that teams need in their work environment. This is quite a different approach from that of the more traditional functional manager. Compared to traditional management styles, organizational leadership is more people-oriented, aiming to achieve not only good results but also emotional well-being. In this way, it plays an important role in developing modern and healthy companies with engaged employees.

Characteristics of Organizing Leadership

Organizing leadership is important for modern companies because it helps ensure that work processes run smoothly. Coupled with its human-centered focus, this means, above all, taking a close look at the strengths, weaknesses, and areas for development of employees within the organization. Assessing competencies and areas for development is extremely valuable in this regard. In addition, organizing leadership skills have proven to be a powerful way to motivate employees by aligning them with a shared goal and through inclusive leadership. It also promotes performance and success by fostering a positive work environment with a strong focus on employee morale and motivation. These are many of the elements that modern organizations and their employees are seeking today. Key characteristics include:

• Goal-oriented approach based on objectives and strategy
• Leading teams with a strong focus on individual needs.
• A strong focus on employee well-being.
• Emphasis on (interdisciplinary) collaboration.
• Focus on effective communication.
• A culture of improvement and development.
• Results-oriented work.

It is crucial to take a people-centered approach. Because to achieve strategic organizational goals, you must see the bigger picture, but also understand what steps are needed to bring about the desired changes.

Self-awareness as a major driver

Increasing self-awareness is a key driver for fostering organizational leadership. This applies to managers, but certainly also to other employees within the organization. It directly addresses important aspects such as a focus on development and individual needs, strengthening collaboration, and the importance of effective communication. The Big 50 personality test offers valuable insights in this regard. It is the most widely used (and researched) personality theory, and for most organizations, the Big 50 competencies serve as a perfect starting point for taking a more competency-based approach to the development of employees and managers. These insights are valuable for translating a personality profile into competencies (that can be further developed). To leverage this for organizational leadership, we at hrmforce have further expanded the personality test with the leadership report for organizational leadership. In this way, the Big 50 personality test continues to evolve to meet new needs.

Leadership Operating System (LOS)

In addition to greater self-awareness across different levels of the organization, a clear Leadership Operating System (LOS) can also significantly increase and accelerate the impact of organizational leadership. This is the framework of discussions, shared protocols, and communication and decision-making flows through which leaders steer the organization in the right direction. They own the system and determine the pace at which they “move forward.” They make the decisions and ensure clear communication, but above all, they create space for feedback and new ideas from within the organization. Many organizations crave this clarity and the ability to make clear choices in our increasingly complex world with all its challenges. Organizational leadership aligns with this approach and is reinforced by the LOS.

LOS: Benefits and Skills

A well-designed LOS reduces bureaucracy, increases decisiveness, improves communication, and accelerates goal-oriented actions. In this regard, organizing leadership and the LOS fit together just as a car actually needs a good (highway) road. The vision behind the Leadership Operating System shows how, as leaders reach higher levels, they do fewer things that directly lead to results and, indirectly, do more by guiding and supporting others to achieve the established objectives. This is a logical development in itself, but in the LOS vision, it is not only about having the right core competencies but, above all, about creating the right environment. Key skills for a LOS:

• Developing leadership potential in others.
• Communicating the organizational vision (including inspiring others to share the vision).
• Identifying future innovations and opportunities.
• Thinking strategically, broadly, and holistically.
• Understanding the business environment.

In addition, these “soft” skills are also of great value:

• Effective communication (especially listening).
• Relationship-building and team-building.
• Decision-making and problem-solving skills.
• Integrity and ethics.

You can find more background information on the LOS in the book of the same name, *Leadership Operating System*.