We wake up every day in a new world. The world is changing constantly. Even if it is not noticeable in such a short period of time, rest assured that leaders are initiating changes right now that will impact the future. Thus, entrepreneur Henry Ford once revolutionized the automobile industry, or Steve Jobs changed the electronics industry with innovative ideas, and Jeff Bezos, the founder of Amazon, revealed the potential of the Internet for retail in a new way. New leaders bring new creative ideas into our world that drive the development of cultural, social, political, scientific and technological spheres of human life.
For business, leadership plays a driving role in determining the direction of the company’s development, motivating the team, ensuring the effective operation of all key mechanisms and achieving strategic goals. Therefore, as part of our regular HR Minds column, we talked about leadership with Nataliia Plakhova, L&D Manager at SMART business, and Oleksandr Plakhov, Administrative Manager at Save the Children International. Our speakers have been working daily for many years with real cases related to the development and strengthening of any company’s most valuable resource – human capital. During the conversation, experts shared their observations and actionable tips that will help you find and develop a leader – both in yourself and in your team. Together we figured out what role L&D plays for business, when companies should implement a leadership development and support program, and how the 9-box matrix methodology helps in this process.
Nataliia, Oleksandr, you have extensive experience working with people, you have nurtured business leaders and implemented multiple successful projects. Please share briefly with our readers how you yourself managed to become leaders in what you do and what experience your paths consist of.
Nataliia, Oleksandr, you have extensive experience working with people, you have nurtured business leaders and implemented multiple successful projects. Please share briefly with our readers how you yourself managed to become leaders in what you do and what experience your paths consist of.
Nataliia, Oleksandr, you have extensive experience working with people, you have nurtured business leaders and implemented multiple successful projects. Please share briefly with our readers how you yourself managed to become leaders in what you do and what experience your paths consist of.
Nataliia:
I started with the roles of project manager and business consultant, through which I gained experience in project management, communications, consulting, analyzing customer needs, planning and organizing business processes.
I chose this direction because an L&D Manager is directly involved in employee development. The main goal of L&D is to ensure the professional growth of employees, and this, in turn, contributes to the achievement of the strategic goals of the organization. This is where I see one of the key roles of a leader – to teach, inspire and motivate, helping to realize people’s potential, thereby influencing the company’s performance.
Now I am an L&D Manager at SMART business, and I am proud that we have formed a strong and cool team, as evidenced by the success of the company itself. For a year now I have been working here on employee development and projects to transfer key knowledge and technologies. My range of tasks includes:
- assistance in choosing a mentor and starting the mentoring process,
- development of functional teams,
- organizing the process of assessing skills and competencies,
- monitoring and processing requests for training and development,
- providing professional development of technical and behavioral skills of employees.
Oleksandr:
Over the past 15 years, I have worked in various fields: from humanitarian to private business. My professional portfolio includes experience working with people in the following areas: Admin Operations, Facility, Contracts, Risk, Preventive, Budget and People management. I have held senior positions in international companies such as CA IMMO, ICRC, CBRE, WIX, and AJAX. I currently hold the position of Administrative Manager at the non-governmental organization Save the Children International. But no matter where I am, the leadership base is always the same. It’s typical for me to work in such a paradigm that tomorrow I can start working on another project, somewhere else, but I have a responsibility here and now to develop new leaders in my team. And when I manage to achieve this goal, I consider my mission accomplished. This is what inspires and motivates me in what I love. But if you asked me what I do, I would remember the story when a NASA janitor was asked what his job was. He answered without hesitation that he helps launch spaceships! A brilliant answer that shows that the person really sees a great mission and value in what he does. So, my answer is that at Save the Children International, I help defend the rights and interests of children around the world.
We assume that the dialogue will be very informative and inspiring, since we’re interviewing an L&D Manager who is involved in the personnel development process, and an experienced manager who develops leaders in his teams. Please share, what key skills and competencies should managers have to become true leaders?
Nataliia:
To understand the concept of leadership, I defined for myself what underlies the understanding of this term: leadership has no gender, no age and no specific position.
These factors tell us that this is a set of skills that everyone can acquire. Using the example of SMART business, we have a clear competency model that describes the portrait of a leader and determines what specific technical skills and behavioral qualities a specialist for this role should have.
If we talk about technical skills, then our leader is an expert in their field, who always takes a proactive position, shares ideas for optimizing processes, has a perfect command of the technical base and effectively applies their theoretical knowledge in real cases.
Among behavioral leadership skills, SMART business highlights the following:
- Mentoring – because this skill helps to identify the potential of employees. We receive information about mentees literally “from the field,” giving us an understanding of which skills of the specialist should be strengthened and, conversely, which are already well developed. And the effectiveness and success of the mentor themselves is evidenced by the result of the work of the specialist whom they support,
- Knowledge sharing – must be initiated by a real leader who not only shares their own expertise, but also listens to the knowledge and experience of other specialists to bring new ideas to life in this synergy,
- Decision making – this skill includes the ability to choose the best course of action among several possible ones. A leader must be able to analyze a situation, think broadly and have alternative options. He or she evaluates both positive opportunities and risks, which play a key role in making responsible and informed decisions,
- Goal-setting – a leader does not just communicate goals but creates them and clearly conveys them to those with whom they will overcome future challenges. The leader implements clear strategies and makes it clear that even the most difficult tasks are achievable.
However, leadership is not about directing and controlling. A leader sees potential in people and helps them to become stronger, which motivates and shows the specialist the importance of their role. But first, Leadership must be formed from within. After all, to lead, a person must become a leader for themselves. I would also emphasize that the concept of an experienced manager should be separated from a leader.
A manager focuses mainly on goals, KPIs, execution, control and task setting. A leader focuses on people, inspires and encourages. A manager acts by rules, and a leader builds processes based on values. A manager has followers, and a leader has fans. Leadership is not only about performing duties; a leader strives to exceed their job duties. I would say that it’s a person who has a mission within themselves.
Oleksandr:
I like how Natalya clearly separated the concepts of manager and leader. Of course, the path to leadership is through successful management, which can be learned in different ways: from MBA books to professional training programs. At the same time, to become a leader, it is important to find and discover a little more within yourself. A good leader must develop empathy to clearly understand the needs of their team. This quality will allow you to feel people in order to sincerely support them, help, mentor and give motivating, effective feedback, find individual approaches and establish effective mental communication. Therefore, in my sincere conviction, many become good managers, supervisors and executives, but not everyone completes the task, leaving their leadership potential undiscovered. I’m sure no one is born to play this role. Behind leadership is painstaking work on yourself and awareness of where you are going, what you want, what your dreams and mission are. And only by understanding yourself and answering the main questions can you find the leader within yourself and gradually grow it, strengthening it with new practical experience.
Recently, at HR conferences, common pains have been voiced: now there is a severe talent crisis in the market, and it is more advisable for companies not to look for a specialist for their needs from the outside, but to grow them internally, especially leaders. What is the role of L&D in manager development and what leadership methods and programs are used in your companies?
Nataliia:
The presence of an L&D manager or even a department in a company indicates a certain maturity of the business, which has reached the conclusion that this is one of the effective methods and approaches to employee development. In the SMART business team, the L&D department consists of four experts, where each plays an important role. Of course, an employee can learn on their own, but their path will be much longer compared to a company where this is facilitated by the L&D department, which approaches the development of specialists more systematically.
For comparison, think of climbers and their ascent to Everest. L&D specialists in this difficult climb take on the role of Sherpas – the indigenous inhabitants of Mount Qomolangma. They are the ones who act as assistants and guides on expeditions to Everest, helping to carry heavy things and equipment. Sherpas know all the intricacies of survival in difficult climatic conditions and are familiar with the harsh mountain nature. An L&D manager also takes on the role of such a guide, helping to go through the difficult path of self-development and conquer new heights. L&D sets the “climber” the desired course and does not allow him or her to leave the right route. And the tools and equipment in this comparison are LMS solutions for courses, trainings and other educational materials, well-thought-out training programs with involved experts, and much more. The L&D manager helps to “acclimatize” by telling the employee which peak should be conquered first to move with renewed vigor to the next one and so reach the highest point.
Our L&D team has tools that facilitate mentoring processes and the creation of individual development plans, we provide both internal and external employee training and help with obtaining various certifications. That is, an L&D manager helps a specialist develop both their specific technical skills and leadership competencies.
Oleksandr:
Within our organization, Save the Children International, we also have an L&D department that has developed programs aimed at employee development. In particular, this is the “School of Leaders”. It is the first place for colleagues where they receive basic knowledge: what management is, how to work with people and manage a team. The next step is a program called “Management for High Performance.” It is focused on developing the management skills and competencies needed to achieve great results in the organization. The program is aimed at leaders and managers seeking to increase the productivity of their teams, improve processes and optimize the way they solve problems. This and the following steps delve deeper into leadership, as approaches to achieving key goals through interaction with people are examined in more detail. It seems to me that the highest degree of leadership is when your team completes a task not only because of a salary or some additional benefits, but everyone understands the importance of their role and realizes that nothing is impossible. And when an extremely difficult task comes, the team is ready, together with the leader, to challenge any difficulties.
A leader must be able to inspire their people so that the team makes impossible things possible.
The ability to inspire is a soft skill. Can we say that soft rather than hard skills are more important for a leader?
Oleksandr:
Of course, there should be a hard skill base, because it indicates the level of professionalism of the employee. The very possession of specific skills and knowledge is necessary to effectively perform basic tasks. At the same time, soft skills have no less weight, especially when considering their importance for leadership. I worked with excellent managers whose hard skills were at the highest level, which allowed them to fulfill all KPIs, easily cope with assigned tasks, exceed plans, but at the same time such people quickly burned out, and personnel turnover in the companies increased. That is, without developed soft skills, such as the ability to motivate, support, build an optimal pace and a favorable ecosystem in a team, even the most experienced managers with a significant base of hard skills may be ineffective.
It is also important for managers to develop their behavioral skills base to be a team player and be able to sense the vibe of the people with whom you work. In addition, the leader must be able to foresee risks that a particular candidate will not fit into the team as early as at the interview stage. I know from experience that even if a specialist does not reach the level of certain hard skills, you can immediately feel that this is “your person”; such a candidate should not be lost! If a person is motivated, then, believe me, technical skills will improve to the required level quite quickly, and you will get a specialist with whom it will be comfortable to work together.
Nataliia:
I agree that you should not separate the importance of hard skills from soft skills. In 2023, the L&D community was discussing a report published by the World Economic Forum in collaboration with PricewaterhouseCoopers. The report features the notion of a Skills-based organization – a management concept that focuses on assessing, developing and using the skills and competencies of employees to achieve the company’s strategic goals. In such an organization, HR management is not focused on titles or roles, but on the specific capabilities with which specialists strengthen teams. That is, the global trend is that employers no longer focus on diplomas, certificates and other regalia, but evaluate candidates by their skills and the ability to apply them in real cases. An example of this is technical tasks that are offered to candidates to assess their level of knowledge and ensure that they really meet the needs of the vacancy. Therefore, hard skills are important for a manager, and in order to grow into the role of a leader, you should also develop your behavioral skills at the same time.
What challenges do companies face in training managers to be leaders? In your opinion, does there already exist a culture of leadership training in the Ukrainian business environment?
Oleksandr:
Perhaps the culture of leadership training is not developing as quickly and efficiently as we would like, but still society, influencers and leading business representatives clearly understand that investing in leadership is extremely important today in all areas. Our country already has its own training programs, for example, the Ukrainian Leadership Academy.
The Ukrainian Leadership Academy is a formational platform for personal and social development for youth based on values. The Academy combines a year-long program between school and university for motivated teenagers aged 16-20 and large-scale social projects for society.
The Academy operates in a bootcamp format – an intensive program aimed at quickly and effectively teaching specific skills or knowledge necessary to shape the personality of the next generation of leaders. During the course, volunteer initiatives are implemented, and participants are introduced to leading businessmen, scientists and public activists. Young people are coming out of the academy who will ignite and lead in the future, which is very important for the new generation of Ukrainians.
Another example of the development of a leadership culture in our country is the program of the Ukrainian Catholic University, which I personally am now completing. It’s called “Management for Leaders”. The curriculum consists of four modules, and I am delighted with how the organizers managed to arrange everything in perfection and intensity. The program is led by experienced speakers; interesting life cases are discussed here, which generally gives an understanding of where to move next and what kind of leader one should be.
I can’t help but mention the “School of New Thinking” from Valerii Pekar. This is an intensive program where 17 speakers help you master innovative formats and thinking tools. In the future, this knowledge can be effectively applied in solving various types of problems related to personal growth and management challenges – from local to global.
Therefore, if you feel even one iota that you have leadership potential, develop your hard and soft skills and look for programs that meet your individual needs.
Companies that stand still and do not perceive changes risk quickly dropping out of the competitive arena. As a leader, take personal development and the development of your teams seriously, because putting in the effort to learn will help you and your business in the long run.
Nataliia:
In fact, even if learning culture is not spoken about out loud, it still exists. At whatever stage the team develops, the challenges and tasks that employees solve every day bring them invaluable experience. But it’s better when this happens consciously and there is a deliberate culture of learning. At SMART business, we have purposefully highlighted the Mastery value. It’s about how we all strive to be experts and it helps us paint a portrait of our leader. And here challenges already arise: how to do this, what metrics to use to measure leadership, what this will give the company as a result, and what programs we will offer our people. It is important to plan for ongoing training to avoid obstacles and risks that could impact the business. For example, planning ensures that training programs fit harmoniously into core business processes, that they do not create additional workload for employees, and that they do not have to be torn between training and existing tasks. Also, to identify potential leaders and their training needs, it is good to have a defined methodology that allows you to collect and analyze data useful for L&D. For example, the 9-box matrix tool is quite suitable for organizing such a systematic approach.
Tell us more about the 9-box matrix tool and how it helps L&D identify the training needs of managers.
Nataliia:
The 9-box matrix tool is simple and powerful at the same time. It helps us visualize and classify talent according to two key parameters: current Performance and Potential for development.
The classic matrix consists of 9 squares (3×3) formed at the intersection of two axes:
- The horizontal axis reflects the employee’s current performance (low, medium and high),
- The vertical axis reflects development potential (low, medium and high, respectively).
Thus, each employee can be placed in one of the nine squares of the matrix depending on their scores on the two above-mentioned parameters. If we see that a specialist has High Potential, as well as High Performance, then today he or she is a ready-made leader who can lead a team. Accordingly, this employee can be offered prepared programs for developing leaders.
If, from the initial data, we estimate that a specialist has high Potential, but Performance suffers, then L&D creates an individual development plan, with an emphasis on strengthening sagging technical competencies. Thus, the 9-box matrix helps to identify potential leaders and plan their strategic development.
This tool also helps with the development of training programs. Thanks to the fact that we understand what current level a specialist is at, the L&D team can segment the target audience and develop training programs focused on the individual needs of each specialist or group. If we are going to develop Potential, programs will focus on developing mentoring – the skill that will help strengthen leadership skills. If there is a need to develop the Performance vector, then the reasons for low performance should be determined here. For example, if this is a new employee, then during the adaptation period they may not know something or have insufficient practical experience working with some new tools or products. Therefore, it is advisable to provide them with appropriate training in terms of functionality and monitor further progress, tracking how the specialist gradually moves towards the desired “square” on the matrix.
The 9-box matrix tool is also effective in managing career growth. For example, when there are employees close to High Performance and High Potential, but they do not have ambitions to be leaders. Then such specialists can act as potential experts who will have their own specific role in the team.
I would say that the 9-box matrix is a convenient bridge where business needs, the desire of specialists to develop within the framework of these needs, and team goals meet. The tool helps to start a dialogue between an HR specialist, a manager and an employee. The matrix highlights the main points of strategic development that you should pay attention to. This method provides an analytical basis – a basis on which it is easier to effectively build further communication in the team. The 9-box matrix helps create a competency model with a focus on the profile of positions that are of key importance to the company. For example, using the tool, we identify a person’s set of skills that meet the needs of individual positions or projects and attract a specialist whose competencies will maximize the results. Such a specialist will be motivated to perform their tasks, since they will correspond to their skills. Or vice versa: the 9-box matrix tool shows us that the specialist is missing something.
We develop an individual development plan and show the person clear steps that will need to be taken. The main thing is that the specialist clearly sees where they are now and how to get to the next “peak” where their company wants to see them. It’s worth adding here that the visual part of your training programs is also very important. Clear visualization helps employees log into their profile at any time and see their own motivating progress, adds clarity and prevents them from losing focus on the goal. In our company, we implement this through SMART HCM & LMS, a solution for comprehensive talent management.
An L&D manager opens the door for the employee, behind which a challenge awaits them, but it is the employee who has to enter them, and the manager motivates and prepares them for future challenges.
At what stage of a business should you start working on leadership development among your managers?
Nataliia:
The answer is simple – there is no clear specific moment when a company must begin leadership development work. But still, certain criteria can be identified:
- Growth of the company’s staff – when the number of people increases, it becomes much more difficult to engage in their onboarding, training and development. Many people require more effective leadership to ensure coordination, motivation and achievement of company goals. It is during this period that it is worth thinking about introducing and developing programs for leadership development,
- Scaling in international markets – for example, when a company enters the level of international cooperation, and specialists should develop their skills for effective communication with representatives of new regions with their own characteristics. Leaders can also take responsibility for opening and developing new divisions and projects, migrating their experience to foreign markets,
- Introduction of new business processes or technologies – to ensure stable and sustainable development of the company, it is necessary to have leaders who can effectively manage changes, introduce innovations and respond to market challenges,
- The growth of the competitive environment should encourage businesses to nurture leaders. In an ever-competitive environment, companies must develop and implement more complex strategies to achieve success. This factor requires leaders who can analyze the market, anticipate trends and develop effective action plans.
Finally, I would like to share a life example from inspiring leadership speaker Simon Sinek. He said that during one of his trips to Las Vegas he stayed at the Four Seasons Hotel. Simon called the hotel the best place he’d ever stayed at, not because of the luxurious rooms or status of the hotel, but because of the incredible energy of the local barista. One day Simon asked why he loved his job. The barista responded that he loved working at Four Seasons because his managers were always interested in what changes would make him feel better and more effective in his workplace. For comparison, in the hotel where he worked part-time on a different shift, the managers did nothing but look for mistakes in his work, so he behaved very quietly and calmly there, so as not to get noticed. Simon Sinek notes that it was the culture of leadership at the Four Seasons Hotel that provided employees with the feeling that they were not being managed but were being helped to become better. The barista felt happy that his needs were considered. Therefore, sincerely loving his work, he devoted himself to it to the maximum, making visitors fall in love not with the place and the walls, but with the energy that they received from his bar counter.
Oleksandr:
In my opinion, it is necessary to grow and develop leaders in your teams already in the early stages of a company’s formation, even at the moment of forming a vision and strategy. Although at the very start, it is the CEO of the business who should be the visionary and strategist who inspires the team and acts as a transmitter of leadership qualities.
Investments in manager development may not always immediately bring tangible results, but over time this will definitely make it possible to understand what risks these investments protected the company from.
