DDI's Essentials of Leadership

DDI has a complete and most comprehensive leadership framework (compared to others - off course within my limited domain of knowledge). One of the management blueprints for a successful manager is on the "Leadership Imperatives". It is a critical set of competencies that all leaders must possess and continuously improved. By mastering these imperatives, one will become an adaptive or situational leader. There are seven imperatives:

1. Coach & Develop for Results
   Leaders get work done through others. The ability to effectively coach for success and for improvement is critical to getting work group results. Developing others through training and targeted experiences is one of a leader's most important contributions to the organization.


2. Drive Performance
   Leaders are responsible for getting results personally and from their work groups. Setting performance expectations and holding people accountable are critical for getting results.


3. Inspire for Loyalty & Trust
   Retaining talented staff is the leader's job, and staff satisfaction is the key to retention. Good leaders create an environment where staff can maximize their talents and perform at or above expectations.


4. Manage Work
   Resources, time, and budget need to be deployed effectively for leaders to meet their work groups' objectives.


5. Partner Within and Across Teams
   Whether it's a formal team or an informal group that needs close teamwork, in order to be effective, creating and maintaining a high-performing team and cross-boundary partnerships is a key leadership role.


6. Influence Through Personal Power
   Leaders need to get things done without using position power, either because it's inappropriate or they're leading people who are peers or who are not direct reports.


7. Select Talent
   Identifying, evaluating, and selecting internal and external talent are essential skills for most leaders.