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What are the key attributes and behaviors for a role model, visionary leader? About six years ago, a task force of Baldrige community senior executives under the leadership of Kathy Herald-Marlowe was charged with drafting a set of senior leader attributes and behaviors consistent with the Baldrige Core Values, to be used by the Baldrige Foundation as criteria for a leadership award. Those leadership attributes and behaviors have been used subsequently as part of the learning discussions for the Baldrige Executive Fellows. Recently, I had the opportunity to update those attributes and behaviors based on revisions to the Baldrige Excellence Framework over the last several revision cycles. The revised attributes and behaviors are listed below for your consideration with your leadership team:
VISIONARY LEADERSHIP
Leads the organization in setting and owning organizational vision and values
Guides the creation of strategies, systems, and methods to ensure ongoing organizational success
Inspires the organization and partners to achieve high performance
Demonstrates authenticity, admitting to missteps and opportunities for improvement
SYSTEMS PERSPECTIVE
Sets a systems perspective across the organization so that the organization and all its parts are viewed as a whole
Causes holistic thinking and cross-functional synthesis, alignment, and integration
Requires a focus on strategic direction and customers to improve overall performance
Leads with recognition of the larger ecosystem (partners, suppliers, customers, communities) in which the organization operates
CUSTOMER FOCUSED EXCELLENCE
Builds a customer-focused culture and integrates customer engagement and loyalty as a strategic concept
Creates a focus on anticipating changing and emerging customer and market requirements
Ensures differentiation from competitors through the development of innovative offerings and unique relationships
VALUING PEOPLE
Builds and reinforces an organizational culture that focuses on meaningful work, engagement, accountability, development, and well-being of workforce members
Creates an organizational environment that is safe, trusting, and cooperative
Builds partnerships with internal and external people and stakeholder groups
Builds a culture of inclusivity that capitalizes on the diversity of the workforce and partners
ORGANIZATIONAL LEARNING AND AGILITY
Develops a capacity for rapid change and for flexibility in operations
Leads and inspires the organization to manage risk and make transformational changes despite ever-shorter cycle times
Creates an empowered workforce that effectively develops and uses evolving organizational knowledge
Embeds learning in the way the organization operates
FOCUS ON SUCCESS
Creates a focus on short- and longer-term factors that affect the organization and its future marketplace success, including needed core competencies and skills
Accomplishes strategic succession planning for leaders and workforce
Ensures that organizational planning anticipates future marketplace, economic, and technological influences
MANAGING FOR INNOVATION
Builds an environment where strategic opportunities are identified, and the workforce is supported to take intelligent risks
Fosters collaborative thinking among people who do not normally work together
MANAGEMENT BY FACT
Compels the organization to measure performance both inside the organization and in its competitive environment
Uses data and analysis in operational and strategic decision making.
Challenges the organization to extract larger meaning from data and information
SOCIETAL CONTRIBUTIONS
Acts as a role model for public responsibility and actions leading to societal well-being and benefit
Motivates the organization to excel beyond minimal compliance with laws and regulations
Drives environmental, social, and economic betterment of the community as a personal and organizational goal
ETHICS AND TRANSPARENCY
Requires highly ethical behavior in all organizational activities and interactions
Leads with transparency through open communication of clear and accurate information
Builds trust in the organization and its leaders
DELIVERING VALUE AND RESULTS
Leads the organization to achieve excellent performance results
Defines and drives the organization to exceed stakeholder requirements and achieve value for all stakeholders
How does your leadership team perform relative to these attributes and behaviors? Do the members of the team complement each other's abilities, so that all the appropriate attributes are covered? Do your team members collaborate to make sure that employees, customers, and partners are treated fairly and with respect?
Have a discussion with your leadership team to identify collective strengths and opportunities for improvement. Your leadership team will be strengthened as a result and your people will benefit from the outcome!
Baldrige Excellence Framework
The Baldrige Excellence Framework has empowered organizations to accomplish their missions, improve results, and become more competitive. It includes the Criteria for Performance Excellence, core values and concepts, and guidelines for evaluating your processes and results.
I am Harry Hertz, the Baldrige Cheermudgeon, and Director Emeritus of the Baldrige Program. I joined the Program in 1992 after a decade in management in the analytical chemistry and chemical sciences...
During the recent celebration of Manufacturing Day , thousands of U.S. manufacturers showcased the realities of modern manufacturing to students as a way to
During the recent celebration of Manufacturing Day , thousands of U.S. manufacturers showcased the realities of modern manufacturing to students as a way to
Permit me the opportunity to ramble a little, and then I will pull all my musings together. New York Times Puzzles I enjoy solving puzzles! I start each morning
Comments
I have been checking above : "self-assessment";
Do you really think Leadership can be subject to assessment?
Yet worse, How "audacious" a pretentious can be the one who clicks this hyperlink, He might be a Leader, having the pattern, but it may look naive or simple-minded.
Perhaps you may want to email this to some forefront CEOs..
The WSJ reports they had an epiphany (in 2019) that Milton Freidman's almost 50-year old "doctrine" (1970) misguided his, Jack Welch (1981), et. al. leadership behaviors, i.e., that the primary purpose of organizational leadership is to produce shareholder value.
Thanks for the comment! There are many good examples of role model leadership in the information about the Baldrige Award recipients on the Program's web site: https://www.nist.gov/baldrige/award-recipients
I have been checking above : "self-assessment";
Do you really think Leadership can be subject to assessment?
Yet worse, How "audacious" a pretentious can be the one who clicks this hyperlink, He might be a Leader, having the pattern, but it may look naive or simple-minded.
Joshua Levy