Individual Influences on Leadership Capabilities

So you want to make more impactful contribution to the organisation? Or perhaps you are just interested in growing your skills and learning. Considering how you as an individual can influence development of your leadership capabilities, three aspects are heavily intertwined and core:

  • Work Experience
  • Skill Development
  • Professional Network

For both women and men at work these three aspects need continuous nurturing over the course of your career. You can create action plans for each. As the diagram suggests, work experience influences the development of skills, and gaining new skills enriches your contribution at work. Work experience also provides the opportunity to develop your professional network.

Work experience leads to development of a professional network, with the potential for both mentoring and sponsorship, either of which may lead to developmental assignments which in turn further develop the professional network, work experience and skills.
Individual Leadership Capabilities Development – Click to Enlarge

This systems map above depicts the interaction of these aspects showing how skill development and work experience create a lovely virtuous circle.

A strong professional network of peers and colleagues brings pleasant relationships, respect and familiarity with your skills. This may open doors to new opportunities or create a community of practice, a group of professionals who improve their skills learning together.

Virtuous Circle of Professional Networking -> Mentoring -> Developmental Assignment and back to Professional Networking
Virtuous Circle of Professional Networking -> Mentoring -> Developmental Assignment and back to Professional Networking

Starting out work experience leads to creation of your first professional network, with the potential for both mentoring (green) and sponsorship (white), either of which may lead to developmental assignments. Developmental assignments in turn further enrich your professional network, work experience and skills.

Virtuous Circle of Professional Networking -> Sponsorship -> Developmental Assignment and back to Professional Networking
Virtuous Circle of Professional Networking -> Sponsorship -> Developmental Assignment and back to Professional Networking

Exercise choice (depicted in orange) by considering which work experience (which industry, employer and role) is right for your skill and professional network development.

With more skill comes the potential for more exciting and challenging work.

Actions for Individuals on Leadership Capabilities

Nurture each of these three elements over the course of your career. Ensure you take some time to consider each in turn.

  • Work Experience
  • Skill Development
  • Professional Network