Continuing with our discussions on leadership frameworks, Pilar and Tim discuss John Adair’s Action-Centred Leadership which was first introduced in 1973. Adair uses three overlapping circles to illustrate that effective leadership happens at the intersection of the task, the team and the individual.
And it is this deceptive simplicity which is a big part of the appeal. The model doesn’t rely on a particular leadership style or organisational culture. Instead it reminds us that if we “zoom out” of our current situation we can identify which of the three areas needs our attention.
The complex landscape of leadership roles often asks for an adaptable approach. Not all situations warrant the same leadership style, and as managers, it’s critical to master the art of shifting our focus to the most necessary level. The Action-Centred Leadership model, proposed by John Adair, advocates for a balance between three different focuses: the team, the individual, and the task. (For more on Action-Centred-Leadership, check out episode 4 on Team Development.)
Frameworks direct our attention. As managers, we find it challenging to maintain a simultaneous focus on the team, the individual, and the task. The Action-Centred Leadership model can guide our attention to the area most in need at a given time.
For example, Tim a tendency to concentrate on the individual and the task while inadvertently sidelining the team dynamic. It’s imperative to remember that these three elements are interdependent and interconnected. A shift in one element inevitably triggers a shift in the others.
Management, often simplified in thought-leadership discussions, is actually an intricate and challenging field. We speculated on how this real-world complexity would influence our Management Café, acknowledging the need for a diverse menu to accommodate the many nuanced situations we encounter in our roles.
Pilar recalls a particular training session where there were no fixed learning objectives. Instead, the attendees where asked to identify the problems they needed to solve. While this unorthodox approach was engaging for some, it didn’t resonate equally with all attendees.
This experience reminds us of the limitations of prescriptive theories and processes. They might make for great training sessions or book content, but they often fall short in the unpredictable realm of practical management.
As managers, we interact with unique individuals who add to the unpredictability of our roles. Frameworks like the Action-Centred Leadership model offer excellent guiding principles, but the secret to successful management lies in our ability to adapt these strategies to the specific dynamics of our teams.
TIME CODED SHOW NOTES
00:00 mins (yes, we went straight into it this time!) Pilar shares a story of when she applied Action-Centered Leadership at her theatre company. The model suggests we focus on leading on three different levels: the team level, the individual, and the task.
3:50 Pilar quotes Judy Rees: frameworks are helpful because “they direct our attention to something”. As managers we rarely have all 3 focus areas in balance all the time. We can use the Action-Centred Leadership framework to guide us to the area needing the most attention.
5:00 Tim has tended to focus on individual and task while neglecting the team dynamic.
6:00 These 3 elements are interconnected and interdependent. If you try to shift one element it will inevitably also change the dynamic in the others.
10:00 Tim goes down a long rabbit hole talking about how management thought-leadership tends to show things as simple. But management is actually really hard and complicated. We speculate how this real world complexity would influence the menu and service in our Management Café.
11:30 Pilar recalls going to a training session which didn’t have a set objective. Instead the facilitators asked the attendees what problems they needed to solve. She loved it, but noted that this approach didn’t work for all attendees.
13:45 Prescriptive theory and processes are great in a book or training session. But when you get back to your actual job, things rarely play out the same way. People are unpredictable!
What about you, dear listener? What do you think of Action-Centred Leadership? Are there other leadership frameworks we should discuss? We’d love to hear about your experiences!
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