"Not Leadership Material" - What it means, exactly

​“Not leadership material.” Three words with the power to crush a career. As you read this, perhaps one person in particular comes to mind—someone who was a great contributor and stellar in many ways, but who just did not fit the mold for how leaders in their organization look, sound, or act—and who consequently never got that much awaited promotion. Did they ever understand why? Let’s break down what’s behind an assessment such as “not leadership material.”

Changing on the Job

At our recent CliffsNotes Book Club, Diane Dixon presented highlights from the book Changing on the Job: How Leaders Become Courageous, Wise, and Steady in an Anxious World, by Jennifer Garvey Berger.

​We had a great discussion about the many wonderful takeaways from the book. (ICYMI, check out the book notes on the portal.) But what stuck with me most was a refresher on some foundational material regarding “forms of mind,” or phases of adult development.

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Forms of Mind - Foundations of Adult Development

Whether you’ve studied child development in depth or just have a passing knowledge, we all understand it to some extent. With children, physical development is a visual cue that corresponds to what’s happening on the inside as children become more independent and emotionally self-reliant.
 
“Forms of mind,” also called “vertical development,” is a corresponding body of work on development for adults. Represented by phases, the earliest phase reflects someone with an autonomous mind and clarity of purpose who may struggle to collaborate with others. Maturing beyond this phase involves an important shift—from being comfortable with concrete and predictable concepts to allowing for cognitive flexibility. This includes systems thinking, holding paradox, integration of multiple viewpoints, and self‑awareness about one’s own thinking patterns.
 
Awareness of adult development phases is especially important for coaches and is part of any leadership coaching curriculum. It’s also critical for leaders and anyone responsible for developing others. For more on this topic, check out the Changing on the Job book notes on the portal.)

Back to What's "Leadership Material"

The observation that someone is not “leadership material” could be a reflection on their mindset or skillset, or both. In the book, Garvey Berger helps clarify what’s meant by leadership maturity, and provides a model for the mindsets we take on as we mature. To be “leadership material,” however, we need to both a leadership mindset and the corresponding skillset. Here’s what this looks like:
 
Enhancing your mindset – Embracing Polarity Thinking, where you learn to navigate the grey areas and hold two seemingly opposing ideas at the same time.
 
Expanding your skillset – Asking powerful, strategic questions vs. advice-giving; learning to read a room; expanding Emotional Intelligence.  
 
While many people focus on the skillset, the two work in tandem. For example, you can learn to ask powerful questions, but if you don’t have the right mindset, and situational awareness, you are not going to be able to influence others. Developing the skillset is just one (important) step. For more on the Garvey Berger’s discussion of adult development, and many other examples, check out book notes on the portal.