HR.COM editorial team interviewed Carl Benscoter from Full Circle Group, at the Leadership Excellence Awards this past March. Here are some excerpts from the exclusive interview. What is the overall objective of The Leadership System™ program curriculum?
We define the Leadership System as a framework of integrated and reinforcing components that, taken together, accomplish more than could any single component. The purpose of the Leadership System is to develop leaders’ ability to:
• Provide and articulate the vision and strategy to align the organization, and model the commitment to this direction
• Define and create a unified organizational culture in which employees thrive and productivity soars
• Commit the organization to the results that are required to succeed
Like all of our programs this one uses a systemic approach to leadership development that is aligned with Harvard professor Robert Kegan’s theory of Adult Stages of Development. In particular, the Leadership System embodies David Kolb’s Adult Learning Cycle of concrete experience, reflective observation, abstract conceptualization, and active experimentation to deeply imbed personal learning.
In addition to the development of leadership competencies, we guide leaders through an exploration of the thought patterns and challenge long-held assumptions and beliefs. This brings about a level of individual and collective transformation that delivers exponential impact.
Finally, we create a system and ultimately a culture where leaders embrace coaching, and being coached, by one another. This results in a climate of trust, transparency, and teamwork as they pursue the organization’s vision.
Who do you impact with your program?
Our clients span six continents and range from start-ups to members of Fortune’s Global 100. We work with universities, government agencies, for-profit and not-for-profit organizations. Clients include McDonald’s, Honda, Boeing, Lockheed, United Airlines, Leo Burnett, University of Notre Dame, and others as well as small and mid-size companies and not-for-profits across the globe. The Leadership System itself was designed for what we refer to as Levels 1 through 3. This includes the CEO and her/his team and the next two levels down. We have successfully scaled it to L4 leaders, the extended leadership team, but the senior team should begin the System ahead of any extended-level teams.
What are the lessons you’ve learned this year from facilitating your program?
There have been three major points we’ve learned in facilitating the program this year.
1. We know that the speed of complexity is making even the most seasoned leaders vulnerable. That’s not new to us. But as a result, we’ve seen the need for traction and momentum to be built very quickly. So we’re compressing some early components of the program into a tighter timeframe. The program always gained traction and momentum over time, now we are accelerating that timeframe.
2. The periodic measurement component of the Leadership System, the Pulse Survey, utilizes a software-based instrument. Of course, it was designed to be user friendly. Over the course of the last year we’ve found ways to make it even more flexible and intuitive. We’ve enhanced it in ways that allows the leader and their coach to gain greater results while making it easier to manage.
3. We all know that competency development at the executive level is different than that at the mid-level and front-line. It’s through the ongoing work we’re doing with the executives that allows us to build out new programs that are most timely in today’s complex business climate. For example, what we’re working on now will help leaders in the areas of organizational politics and influence, leading through narrative, transformation, and innovation.
We actually designed the Leadership System four years ago and introduced it into three client organizations. With their collaboration, we refined it and naturally we continue to learn from every client engagement we have.
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Leadership Excellence Rank: 1
Category: Large Leadership Partner & Provider
Company Name: Full Circle Group/ The Leadership Circle
Program Name: The Leadership System™
Program Director: Carl Benscoter
Address: 5671 S Redwood Rd. Ste 20 Salt Lake City, UT 84123, United States.
Call: 801-266-8855
Email: carl.benscoter@fcg-global.com
Visit: https://fcg-global.com