Big50 personality test booster for connecting leadership
More and more organizations and executives are betting on the power of connecting leadership. This primarily means working from trust, mutual connection and with freedom to experiment. For leaders, this often means searching for their new role from the ‘Secure Base’ leadership. A personality test (Big50) provides many valuable insights for this. The nine characteristics of connecting leadership can now also be shown in this.
What is connecting leadership?
You can hardly avoid it. In recent years we have been hearing more and more about connecting leadership. This is really more than just hype. Because organizations are changing rapidly. We are working less hierarchically and more agile. This makes other demands on workers, but certainly also on leaders.
As a result, Secure Base Leadership (SBL) is now among the leading leadership visions of the moment. Here, managers ensure a good balance between safety and challenges for employees. They inspire them, give them confidence and challenge people to experiment, develop resilience and make connections. This also allows mistakes to be made in order to ultimately tap into unknown potential in people.
In fact, many previous insights in the fields of organizational psychology, leadership, developmental psychology and, for example, change management have been fused into this newer vision. It is a practical translation of existing insights into an effective leadership style for the modern workplace. In this, agility and resilience are important characteristics.
Origins and prerequisites
The leadership style was introduced in 2012 by Professor George Kohlrieser, Susan Goldsworthy and co-author Duncan Coombe (in the book Care to Dare) as agility and resilience became increasingly evident success conditions for organizations and workers. This involves coupling a growth and development mindset of leaders with clear incentives to develop more daring. For example, by rewarding team efforts, asking for help within teams or daring people to keep experimenting. Even when results may be disappointing at first. At its core, attachment plays an important role within the vision, just as secure attachment is a good basis for children. This fundamental principle is extended to the work environment.
At SBL, trust and giving space are important principles, but that sounds easier than it often is for managers, especially in the initial phase. It also requires clear expectations and agreements. And, of course, it requires skills from managers to fill their new role well from more ‘human leadership’. This also means: letting go of old habits and learning and developing new skills. “Leaders who apply Secure Base principles give their employees a good balance between safety and challenge. As a Secure Base Leader, you are a source of inspiration, challenge others to reach their full potential and provide confidence,” Kohlrieser said in his book.
Fully aligned with HR trends 2023
Finding the new role and balance between safety and challenge is not only a quest for executives, but for the entire organization. You can also see it directly reflected in the HR Trends 2023 by research firm Gartner. This annual survey of HR trends shows that HR leaders in 2023 must take into account especially: increasing economic pressure, scarce and more precious talent, global supply constraints and changes and uncertainty. To deal with these effectively and successfully, five priorities for HR in 2023 have been identified:
- Effectiveness of leaders and managers
Provide appropriate guidance to staff from “human leadership. - Organizational design and change management
Change is a continuous factor in the work environment. Teach people to deal with it and its impact on their work and well-being. - Different staff development
Young generations look at work differently. Help people flexibly in their personal development and together create a career that fits their ambitions and the organization. - Recruitment remains important
Half of the organizations expect the “war on talent” to continue to grow. New strategies for recruitment therefore remain important. - Future of work
Working with external (and hybrid) workers continues to require adaptive capacity in the way we work and do business.
In all these points you see SBL’s ‘care and dare’ principle reflected. Sometimes literally as with the ‘human leadership’ of the first point and sometimes more indirectly, but certainly not less important. Because this type of leadership also contributes to personnel recruitment, for example. For those who meet the principles of connecting leadership – which working people now demand – are more attractive as employers.
Strengthening through personality test (Big50)
Developing connecting leadership in organizations and among managers can be strengthened with the insights provided by the Personality Test (Big50) for this purpose. This is the most widely used (and researched) personality theory, and for most organizations the Big50 competencies are a perfect starting point to work more competency-based on the development of employees and managers. The insights are valuable for translating a personality profile into competencies (to be further developed), for example in the area of connecting leadership. Nine characteristics are central to this. For each competency an indication is given of the extent to which someone can develop this competency. This is based on his personality and on the five most important personality factors for behavior in work situations.
To apply this also in the field of SBL, we at hrmforce have further expanded the personality test with the leadership report for connecting leadership. Thus, the Big50 personality test continues to evolve. A few years ago, for example, we also added the Teamflow to better understand team roles in organizations.
Nine characteristics of connecting leadership
In the book Care to Dare, Kohlrieser identifies nine competencies of an authentic and successful Secure Base Leader. An SBL …
- Always remains calm and does not let primitive emotions guide him. Thus, no insecurity or unpredictability arises.
- Accepts the individual. Appreciates and respects the other person.
- Always sees the potential in the other and focuses on the long-term development of employees.
- Listens and seeks dialogue by asking open-ended questions.
- Communicates with powerful messages. This makes communication unambiguous, clear and direct.
- Focuses on the positive. Looks for opportunities and benefits. Risk-taking is encouraged.
- Provides opportunities to take risks and develop talents.
- Focuses more on intrinsic motivation than monetary rewards. Personal growth and development are central.
- Shows accessibility. Even in absence, people can contact their manager if needed.
These nine characteristics show the emotional commitment of an executive who has employees’ best interests at heart. It recalls the family members of our childhood who helped grow and develop. And who gave confidence and with whom feelings of care and joy were shared. Because there is a strong causal link between leadership in our childhood and later dealings with life, work and relationships. Back in 1966, renowned developmental psychologist William E. Blatz pointed out the importance of a “Secure Base” for young children. This later ensures the healthy development of entrepreneurship, creativity, innovative ability and resilience, among other things. SBL extends that line to the entire organization.
