When Employees are Ripe to Fill the Gaps in their Leadership Skills
One of the foundational practices I detail in my book, The Respectful Leader, is looking for diamonds in the rough. Leaders who acknowledge their team’s excellence in skills and perspectives foster an environment where employees feel respected. Respect creates greater loyalty among employees and commitment to go the extra mile. This recognition also inspires a growth culture where team leads are empowered and motivated to further develop their leadership skills.
Forbes Contributor Jeff Boss recently interviewed leadership coach Sacha Lindekens, author of How Leaders Improve: A Playbook for Leaders Who Want to Get Better Now. The book details the RIPEN philosophy, an acronym referring to the moment when leaders recognize the gap between where they are and where they want to be – and they are ripe to take action and fill the gap.
RIPEN stands for:
Realization | This is the “aha!” moment when managers recognize and own the need to improve leadership skills. This realization comes from within; it’s an understanding that things aren’t working as well as they could be.
Incentive | A leader’s values drive the motivation behind real change and a commitment to accountability. Once you know why something needs to change, the path to improvement becomes more clear and easier to implement.
Pressure | Whether internal or external, a sense of urgency needs to be present to inspire employees to develop stronger leadership skills. What is it that drives you to take action today as opposed to letting the task repeatedly fall to the bottom of your to-do list?
Expectation | Whether learning to delegate more effectively or improve communication, a leader’s self-efficacy, indicates his or her confidence and motivation to successfully improve leadership skills.
Natural Inclination | Some people simply have a natural inclination for growth, but this quality can also be developed over time. Depending on the person, development goals may focus on overall leadership skills or more specific areas in need of improvement.
Once employees reach that sweet spot, aka the RIPEN point, a truly effective leadership development process can begin. Read the full article.
