I met Tanya years ago, at a global corporation where she led a business unit and enjoyed a reputation as a formidable mentor. “The thing I always keep in mind,” she told me with obvious pride, explaining her approach to management as we walked through a bustling open office, “is that these people are the best talent in the business. They could be working elsewhere, if they so chose. And I am sure that many will, eventually.”
The Portable Leader Is the New “Organization Man”
Today, many organizations anchor their talent management strategies around a promise: working here today will make you a leader elsewhere tomorrow. It is a promise of transformation — a promise that a stint at the organization will change you in ways that will outlast your tenure in it, that you’ll learn leadership skills that are universally portable and valuable. But not everyone pursues transformation the same way. A year-long, qualitative study found that there are two paths to this type of “portable leadership.” Some people act like “hunters,” seeing the organization as a training ground and colleagues as role models and sources of feedback. To them, portability is all about being flexible, adaptive, versatile, able to fit in with the needs of many organizations. By contrast, “explorers” see others as a source of friction and support, and the institution as a magnifying glass. To them, portability is about developing the resolve and passion to be the same person in different contexts. Leadership development programs will be more effective if they support both types of learning styles, allowing participants to choose the one that fits them best. Doing so will make your company appealing to join — and very hard to ever truly leave.