Leadership: take off from where you want to go

To know, start with translating your strategy into leadership. In our vision, this is the approach to take. We have developed a structured and objectified approach to create a blueprint for your company’s leadership. To maximise your success, explore the LeaderBlueprint.

According to managing partner Ed van der Sande, the LeaderBlueprint is a one-of-a-kind and very unique model. “We have been on an expansive journey to research the elements of success. Our LeaderBlueprint is the result of years-long dedicated work.” Once your goal is clear, LeaderBlueprint can guide you through different stages and help you answer a variety of questions:  

• How to translate our business strategy into a clear leadership profile?
• To what extent are the necessary leadership skills and competencies, to drive the execution of our strategy, present within our organisation?
• How can we unlock leadership potential within our organisation?
• How do we benchmark (both internal and external) candidates for a role in an objectified manner?

Odgers Berndtson helps you build your company’s LeaderBlueprint, which can be translated into the core values and language of the organisation. In doing so, we leverage on both our knowledge and the insights prevalent in your organisation. Your strategy is the arrow, and LeaderBlueprint creates a tailormade bow to reach your target with aimed precision.

3 pillars of success

Our LeaderBlueprint method takes a structured shape along the three predictive pillars of success. We call them: Leaderprimed (Experiences), LeaderFit (Competencies) and LeaderDrive (Motivations).

Competencies form the largest predictor of a person’s fit for the job, however not the only one. Even though a certain competence might be absent or less present, a candidate can still show mastery of this skill through experience. For example, a transformational leader, who is naturally inclined to lead with encouragement with a more ‘guide-like’ style, can show exceptional performance in stepping ahead of the troops and stating commands, when needed.

Besides experiences and competencies, motivations are also important to create the full leadership picture.

“Working with the same motivation as your colleagues makes working within a team more fluent because of these shared values,”

says Van der Sande. “Therefore, the unique personal drives are weighed in with the competencies and experiences in our model. This has proven to be of added value”.

Sharpen the thinking

What exactly makes the LeaderBlueprint so laser sharp? Consensus and benchmarking opportunities.

LeaderBlueprint involves the relevant stakeholders to create a shared and straightforward vision of what leadership is needed in the organisation. This consensus is a huge advantage. It can be used as the starting point for creating a clear roadmap on where your organisation stands now, where it wants to go and how to get there in terms of leadership.

Now that you have reached a consensus about what leadership you need to execute your strategy, find it. Either in-house or in the market. LeaderBlueprint provides a clear and systematic way of benchmarking candidates. This creates advantage for the organisation as well as the candidate, as the organisation knows exactly what they are looking for and the candidates are challenged to consider if they truly match the job.

On a last note, Sebijn Bunt, leadership practice consultant at Odgers Berndtson adds: “This method helps to sharpen your thinking. It might seem like an effort upfront, but it makes up for it in the end since it helps bringing the right candidates to the surface faster. The added value of benchmark opportunities is proven, which helps to laser point the leadership vision that is needed to drive your company to success”.

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