Mindset, Skills, and Knowledge: How to Build Better Leaders, According to Harvard Experts

“Unfortunately, many organizations lack a strong culture of development. They see the development of leaders as a tactical issue rather than a strategic imperative. On the other hand, companies with strong cultures of development invest in their middle management, increasing their leadership capacity. These companies put leaders on the path to lean towards greater accountability and more complex programs, projects or initiatives.”

The observation is shared by Hise O. Gibson, senior lecturer in the Operations and Technology Management Unit at Harvard Business School, and Shawnette Rochelle, executive coach and president of Excellence Unbounded, in an article published by Harvard Business Review.

Until the arrival of the COVID-19 pandemic, middle management used to be the place where races stalled, but that notion has been changed. At least in the US, specialists are seeing that the tight labor market is opening up new opportunities for capable middle managers who show initiative. Companies that do not tangibly demonstrate that they value their best employees, developing their skills and helping them reach their full potential, will lose them, perhaps to competitors.

Gibson and Rochelle define leadership capacity as what “the leader can do. Companies tend to measure capacity based on the technical execution of leaders' tasks, but that perspective ignores the fundamental elements that help these professionals reach a higher level: the T-shaped leader,” they say.

The experts explained that in this development model the vertical line of the T represents the depth of experience, and the horizontal line reflects the broadening of experiences aimed at preparing the individual for leadership at the enterprise level. “The goal is to build technical competencies in both directions. While the T-shaped manager framework has many advantages, it has one critical flaw: it overlooks the importance of emotional intelligence.

MSK's Leadership Development Framework (acronym in English for mentality, skil, knowledge), is an approach that builds on Day, Harrison and Halpin's vision of leadership development, which argues that “improving the knowledge, skills and attitudes of leaders will increase their capacity,” they added. The MSK Pyramid Framework takes these principles one step further and offers organizations a way to apply these three principles:

Mentality: The fundamental level of the MSK Leader Development Framework pyramid focuses on the mentality of a leader, in particular, the beliefs that guide how we handle situations and solve what is happening. “To assess what a leader can do and build additional capacity, the organization must create the space for the leader to gain clarity about the conscious and unconscious beliefs they hold. An understanding of these beliefs and how they inform actions is fundamental to understanding different perspectives and thinking more broadly,” they said.

Skills: The middle level of the pyramid addresses the skills of a leader. Conventional thinking considers skills simply as the abilities of a person. “In the MSK Framework, the skill level seeks to answer the question: Who are you as a leader? Emotional intelligence reigns here,” the specialists added. Leadership development work around skills presents both the leader and the organization with an opportunity to assess whether the leader is flexible, resilient, adaptable, empathetic and self-aware, among other qualities. The results of those evaluations can shape actions that increase the leader's capacity. Investing at this level allows leaders to engage in critical conversations and develop their direct reports.

Knowledge: The highest level of the Framework considers the knowledge of a leader. Knowledge includes technical training, socialization and execution skills of the leader. Some organizations focus on this level at the expense of previous ones, but a change in perspective can produce significant results, particularly for middle managers. “While the T-shaped model emphasizes technical competencies on both the vertical and horizontal axes, MSK's Leader Development Framework assumes that leaders are technically competent and will continue to grow. However, investing in mindset and skill levels is not a given. Making that investment allows leaders to make the most of their knowledge on behalf of the organization,” they said.

At this point, Gibson and Rochelle responded to how organizations can translate the MSK Framework into concrete actions and made some suggestions to that effect for those seeking to invest in their leaders.

Cultivate the mindset of leaders. “To begin exploring and cultivating a leader's mindset, organizations must move from 'saying' to 'inquiry'. The managerial dialogue teaches your direct subordinates about how you think. The consultation creates the opportunity for your direct subordinates to slow down and gain insight into how to think. When interacting with direct reports, ask about the beliefs that support your assumptions. Avoid questions that start with “why,” as they tend to put people on the defensive and stifle dialogue. Instead, ask questions that begin with “how” or “what.” For example, “What assumptions lead you to that conclusion?” Based on your answer, continue to explore your answers from a place of curiosity, not judgment. Sometimes, this will probably require some emotional self-regulation on your part.”

Facilitate the exploration of skills. Organizations should invite leaders to identify no more than two areas in the domain of emotional intelligence that they would like to focus on. The selected areas will provide a greater understanding of the question who are you as a leader? For example, if the individual wants to become more adaptable, the organization may look for opportunities to lead early stage initiatives that are likely to change frequently. Gibson and Rochelle suggested that during regular evaluations, organizations may ask leaders:

What are they noticing in themselves?

How have they responded to developments?

How do they use that knowledge while leading their teams?

How do you want to respond to the next challenge you encounter?

Take advantage of knowledge. The work done at this level is the culmination of the progress made in the previous two levels and the execution of their technical functions. Leaders with sufficient technical training can always access specific knowledge to deliver, but whether that delivery comes at the time of the organization depends on the work done at the mindset and skill levels.

“To further explore the level of knowledge with your leaders, ask questions that allow them to make connections between the three levels,” they said. For example, when leaders report on their projects, their performance reflects their development at the level of knowledge. Questions that then explore their execution skills through the lens of mindset and skills invite them to recognize how growth in those areas applies to their technical performance.”

“Organizations set the conditions for achieving the full potential of a leader. MSK's Leadership Development Framework is not intended to remain in the conceptual domain; it is designed to be put into practice. Implementation facilitates the necessary shift from 'telling' leaders what to do to 'inquiring' about the thinking that informs their decision-making. Ultimately, this work will lay the foundation for the growth of both the leader and the organization,” the authors considered.

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