Have you ever wondered what’s so special about the number three? As children, we heard stories about The Three Little Pigs, The Three Blind Mice, and Goldilocks and the Three Bears. But, it didn’t stop with our childhood stories. The Rule of Three carries through in many areas of life, including business and leadership.
In writing, the rule of three claims that three characters, events, or words are more effective, more satisfying, and can be funnier than any other number. Together, the three elements are called a triad. We see this concept all throughout life:
- Faith, hope, and love
- Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness
- Stop, drop, and roll
- Snap, Crackle, Pop
But, it doesn’t stop there. Recent studies are proving that there is a triad to effective leadership. If you want to develop your leadership skills or the level of leadership within your business, there are three elements that are your key to success.
The triad of leadership
The leadership triad is made up of (1) assessment (2) training and (3) technology. While these three focuses are important on their own, their values grow substantially when they are working with each other. The concept is similar to the story of draft horses. A draft horse can pull up to 8,000 lbs on their own. Reason tells you that two horses together would be able to pull double that, but it’s not true. Instead, when two draft horses were pulling together, they were able to pull 24,000 lbs. That’s impressive, but it doesn’t stop there. If you train the two horses to pull together their maximum weight load increases to 32,000 lbs. Let’s apply this to your business.
Assessments
Assessments are important for you to gain an accurate picture of where your business stands. They help you evaluate if you have the right systems and procedures in place. They also help you identify the weaknesses in your leadership style and your business. You should have a clear picture of where the business is excelling and what competencies are lacking, once your assessments are complete.
In the article, For CEO’s, It’s Still About Developing Leaders, Rebecca Ray shares information from HR professionals that were surveyed. She writes, “Fifty-two percent do not know the up-to-date status of leadership talent capability across the organization.” It’s important for you to assess your business periodically so you know the current status and what direction it is moving in. Assessments are a valuable tool, but if all you do is assess the situation without making changes it is purely a waste of your time.
Training
The second element of the triad is training. Your completed assessments will show you which areas of leadership development and systems training should focus on. Training is good. However, if you aren’t training in the right areas, or with the right people, you are throwing money away.
In the article, Making the Most of High-Potential Talent, in the Global Leadership Forecast 2018 it states, “Knowing what high-potential leaders want from their development experiences can shape a company’s strategy and lead to positive outcomes. High-potential respondents to our survey were clear: They’re looking for tailored development. From a list of 10 development types, four of their top five preferences are types of learning that are tailored to their own needs.” Meaning, the leaders within your organization want personalized training.
Ray also found in her survey that of the HR professionals that responded, “Sixty-five percent do not believe their leaders have high-quality, effective development plans.”
Technology
The third piece that finishes off the leadership triad is technology. The advancement of technology over the past several decades has changed the way that we do business. You will eventually find yourself left behind if you aren’t incorporating technology into your leadership development plan. However, technology alone is not enough.
Evan Sinar writes in Meeting the Needs of the Modern Learner, “Technology’s role becomes clearer, however, when viewed as an accelerator of learning impact. The link between learning programs and leader quality is 46 percent stronger when technology is used heavily.” From the way training is provided to the tools that are used on a daily basis, technology needs to play a role.
Putting it all together
The SPEAR™ system is built around a multi-faceted plan for leadership development. Our services include assessment, training, and technology because we understand the benefits that you will experience in your business when you put them to use. If you want to find out more about what SPEARity™ can do for your business contact us today to schedule a call or meeting.
