A three-way balancing act

I have the chance to speak with many business leaders that desire to have managers that "take more risk" for the orgnaisation and that behave more like "entrepreneurs" than bureaucrats. My response to them is that while individual leadership competencies can be developed, the value these competencies can create will NOT emerge if (1) the organisation does not support the emergence of the entrepreneurial value and (2) the management principles are not in place to grow both the competencies and the organisation simultaneously.

Imagine, developing the "entrepreneurial spirit" in leaders and then not giving them the opportunity to use it. This is a recipe for failure. It is also a quick way to lose some of your best managers.

Also, bear in mind that the competencies development of managers will not be efficient if the orgnisation doesn't reward or support the new competencies. Imagine sending a manager into a training programme that develops their entrepreneurial behaviors when the manager knows that the organisation (middle managers, resource allocation mecanisms, etc.) don't support the new behaviors! This is what is called learning readiness. In this case, the organisation is not ready.

Successful deveopment requires a simultaneous approach that focuses on individual competency development, organisational development (what barriers exist, etc.) and the management of the balance between the two (is the organisation efficient and effective and what feedback mechnaisms help the organisation manage the interface).