A simple framework for effective leadership in a post-pandemic world

The COVID-19 pandemic has provided ample opportunity to put that theory to the test. Along with the health crisis caused by the virus, most businesses and institutions are grappling with the economic fallout caused by weeks of shutdown.

As organizations lay the groundwork for reopening and recovery, effective leadership is now more important than ever.

Western Continuing Studies instructor, Peter Sherriff, has spent most of his career facilitating leadership training programs to help organizations identify and nurture high-potential talent. During that time, he has worked with other adult educators to develop a stripped-down Leader-Manager Competency Framework, designed to help current and future leaders stay on track.

“Some organizations create a competency framework that is so complex nobody understands it. They say: in this leadership role you are accountable for 10 to 20 things,” he says. “That sets the leader, and the company, up for challenges. Nobody can really excel at that many things across the board.”

Sherriff’s approach boils the leadership framework down to four key competencies: The ability to transform, connect, inspire, and deliver.

“If you keep it simple, people understand it and they remember it too,” he notes. “When a manager gets up in the morning, they know their job is to be awesome at these four things.”

Sherriff cautions organizations against measuring leadership ability based on transformation and delivery alone. “Too often, we measure leaders by profit margin or market share.” Meeting economic benchmarks is important, he says, but if an organization experiences a high rate of staff turnover due to poor management, that profit may come at a high cost.

As organizations navigate the post-pandemic world, the ability to connect with employees and provide clear direction and inspiration for the road ahead are leadership traits that could make all the difference.

In addition to focusing on the four components of his Leader-Manager Competency Framework, Sherriff offers this advice to anyone working in a leadership role: “Never stop learning.” Nicole Laidler