7. Action Centered Leadership

The Action Centered Leadership (ACL) model presented by John Adair back in 1973, is notable because it can help reconcile the various goals and desires of individuals. While still accomplishing the specific goals set out for the team and the project as a whole.


In its simplest form, the model can be described by how it divides leadership into the areas of ‘Task’, ‘Team’ and ‘Individual’. Each element plays an important role in the leadership picture, and only when all three are balanced properly will the leader be achieving success.

Harmony among the three might not always be the easiest goal to reach, but it is the job of the leader to make it happen. By looking at each element in turn, you can understand how each of these three aspects is important.

It all starts with a task

Without a task, there is no reason to have a team made up of individuals, and no reason to lead them in the first place. Every leadership role is developed because there is a goal in mind, and someone needs to be in charge of directing the team towards that goal. A goal like this can be rather general, such as simply running a profitable business, while other goals will be very specific – like developing a new product to launch to market by the end of the year. No matter what the goal is, the task needs to be made clear by the leadership.


When speaking about the variety of tasks that are possible for a leader to work towards, one of the most important jobs of the leader is to actually define and identify the task at hand. Sometimes this will be quite easy, but it can also prove to be a serious challenge’. Teams work together better when they are clear on the task at hand, so providing that definition in no uncertain terms is a major part of the equation.


Among the other important parts of the task are including and identifying milestones along the way that need to be met, establishing who is responsible for which part of the task, and what will be defined as success in the end. Monitoring progress and making sure that the group is getting closer and closer to accomplishing the task falls on the leader, and is an important part of the Action Centered Leadership model.

Teamwork is Essential

Leading the team is what most people think of traditionally as being ‘leadership’. Any given team is made up of individuals with various skills and experiences, so it is up to the leader to extract the best possible performance from each of them. The leader should define how the team works together, such as communication standards and methods for resolving conflict. Whenever two or more people are working together on a task, there is bound to be conflict along the way – the best leaders are able to moderate those conflicts and resolve them quickly.

Encouragement is another important part of the Action Centered Leadership plan, especially for long projects. The members of the team need to remain focused on the ‘prize’ at the end of the task, so they can remain motivated and determined to reach a successful conclusion to the project. Making sure that the team as a whole feels invested in the success of the group, is something that a good leader will be able to accomplish.

Don’t Forget About the Individuals

Forgetting about individuals within the team is probably the most common leadership mistake made by managers in all areas of business. It is tempting to just treat each individual as a robot, who is programmed to only do what is best for the organization – but real life is just not that simple. Individual people have varying desires, fears, experiences, motivations, etc.

Extracting the best from each person on the team means treating them as the individual that they are. Offering rewards or praise for a strong contribution to the team, is a common tact for getting the best possible performance from members of the team. Only when the leader is able to place each person in the role that is best suited to their skills and interests, will the team be able to function as successfully as possible.

Action Centered Leadership is a popular leadership model to follow because of the simplicity that it offers. Just by understanding the basics of the three areas of leadership provided in this model – Task, Team, and Individual – a leader will be well on the way to a successful project. Each of these three areas is vitally important, and it will be difficult to succeed in one area without support from the other. Bringing all three together properly isn’t always going to be easy, but it is a goal that each leader in an organization should strive to achieve.

Key Points

  • Action centered leadership involves balancing task, team and individual focus.

  • Each of these three elements plays an important role in the leadership picture, and only when all three are balanced properly will the leader be achieving success.

  • No matter what the goal is, that task is what will guide the leadership and its delivery to the team.

  • Making sure that the team as a whole feels invested in the success of the group, is something that a good leader will be able to accomplish.

  • Only when the leader is able to place each person in the role that is best suited for their skills and interests, will the team be able to function as successfully as possible.

References

  • Newton Paul (2016). Leadership Theories Leaderships Skills. Published 2016 by Bookboon .

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

3. Hersey-Blanchard's Situational Leadership Theory

Image
Right in the name of this leadership theory, you can get a great indication of what it is all about. The term ‘situational’ indicates that: Leaders should vary their approach based on the people they are leading, and the circumstances that surround the task at hand. Indeed, the Hersey-Blanchard Situational Leadership Theory is one that is based around variable leadership, depending on a variety of circumstances. When a leader is able to adapt to the situation as quickly as possible, everyone will benefit in the end.  Specifically, this theory has to do with the maturity of those who are being led. To those who have worked as leaders in the past, it is no surprise that maturity should be considered when working on finding the right leadership style. For example, Someone who is inexperienced in their field, will likely lack the skills or confidence to take on tasks that would be comfortable for a more experienced employee. Only when a leader is able to mold their approach...
Read more

1. Dunham & Pierce’s Leadership Process Model

Image
The Dunham and Pierce Leadership Process Model doesn’t necessarily seek to define leadership, but it does the job indirectly. This model addresses all of the key elements that play a role in leadership, and helps the manager to understand how each part affects the other parts of the equation.  Leadership will never be simple, but using this model is a good way to ‘get your head around’ the various moving parts and hopefully bring it into better focus in your mind. According to Dunham and Pierce, there are four factors that play a role in the leadership process. Leader – the person in charge of a project or team, regardless of what their title may be. That person may be referred to as an owner, a manager, a V.P., or any other title that confers power and responsibility. The important thing is that they are the person who a group of others answer to, and it is their performance that we are worried about with this model. Followers – the people who are being led. Generally, these w...
Read more

5. Lewin’s Leadership Styles Framework

Image
Not only can leadership strategies vary from person to person, but the same person can often use different strategies in different situations in order to achieve maximum results. The leader who is stuck in only one way of thinking and never responds to the changes going on around them, is one who is unlikely to be a leader for long. The Lewin’s Leadership Styles Framework dates back many years – to the 1930’s, in fact – but it is still relevant today because it divides leadership styles up into three easy to remember groups. While these groups might not necessarily capture all of the subtlety that is contained within a given leader or manager, they do a good job of highlighting the overall approach.  Based on the situation, any of these three styles could be the perfect one for the job. At the same time, any of these three could be the wrong one for the job if used under incorrect circumstances. Pairing the right leadership style with the right situation is a task that every lea...
Read more