Building Scaffolding to Reach High Levels of Leadership

You’ve seen it scaling the walls of tall buildings. Scaffolding and its intricate latticework provide access to new heights for the people on the ground. While skilled, their talent lies dormant until they climb the rungs and apply that skill to the task at hand, one section at a time.

Scaffolding is a lot like the frameworks I use with my clients to help them see themselves as the leaders they need and want to be. These frameworks are designed to support learning in a way that has meaning and context while moving aspiring leaders into position to advance. Once the scaffolding is in place, then my clients begin to navigate the sections, filling out the form and function of the what, why and how of their learning and development.

The Four R’s

I refer to one of my “go-to” frameworks as The Four R’s. While not applicable to all executive and leadership development tactics, from what I’ve observed, experienced and studied, great leaders will exhibit a strong showing of each of the four R’s in some way. Let’s take a closer look at what I mean:

•  Resilience: Effective leaders are those who can bend in strong winds without breaking. They manage the demands of change and the stress of being hyperconnected. Often the coaching process investigates ways to develop and strengthen resilience and improve responses to stress and change. Team members are more apt to trust a resilient leader and follow where they need to be led. 
• Relationships: Building workplace relationships is critical to productivity and success. The most crucial relationship-building tool is frequent and honest two-way communication. Successful leaders are the product of successful teams. That success hinges on the regular, healthy exchange of information. Great leaders insist on honest dialogue and foster a culture in which this is respected and expected from team members. Otherwise, teams become confused, mislead and demoralized. Think of a rowing team that works well together and imagine what kind of chaos happens when they don’t. Yikes.
• Real: The fear of humiliation often keeps people from being themselves or being vulnerable in the workplace. It’s tough to admit you don’t have all the answers, particularly if you are the leader. When leaders come to accept vulnerability as a value add and lean into it, team members lean in, too. Together, the collective experiences a greater degree of connection and cooperation.
• Rhythm: How work gets done within an organization is as important as the work itself. Creating a proper work rhythm allows members to speed up and slow down together, gracefully give entry to new members and create an environment of reciprocal trust. Leaders who create that rhythm minimize disruptions and provide productive and joyful work experiences for their team members. The flow of work and interaction becomes more predictable and consistent. Go back to that rowing analogy. If there isn’t a rhythm, that boat’s not going anywhere.

Consider what framework helps you orient yourself to your personal and professional development. How are you building competence and mastery in the Four R’s and is your team responding? Send me a note and let me know. 

This blog originally appeared on the Terry Humphrey blog. Read more!