HUMAN LEADERS AMPLIFIERS

The Human Leaders Amplifiers source method is a way to make sense of how individual people can find meaning, realise purpose and explore their potential as leaders.

The Human Leaders Amplifiers concept is based on the natural human behaviour of leaders seeking certainty as they navigate the uncertainty and complexity of leadership challenges. The typical result of this seeking of certainty is that leaders often feel contractually obliged to ensure certainty of outcome and  to minimise variations in procedure.  In reality, however, the creation of leadership contracts, both explicit and implicit, tends to have the effect of closing down possibilities and reducing potential. The Human Leader Amplifiers takes a different approach. Rather than contracting leadership obligations and shrinking them down, the Human Leaders Amplifiers is a way of expanding possibilities and amplifying leadership potential.

The purpose of the Human Leaders Amplifiers is to amplify leadership potential by understanding identities, needs and beliefs in any leadership situation. Although leaders can often think that their leadership identities, needs and beliefs are unchanging  across situations, they are heavily influenced by the context of leadership challenges, which will change from situation to situation. The Human Leaders Amplifiers provides a way for people to make sense of who they are as a leader, what they do as a leader and why they are doing it in any situation. It also provides a way to make sense of what they needed a leaders and what their leadership purpose purpose is in that situation and opens up to exploring their leadership beliefs beliefs and potential as a leader.

• • To identify self-perceptions as a leader
• • To identify leadership role and responsibilities
• • To identify leadership motivations
• • To understand leadership needs
• • To realise purpose as a leader
• • To articulate leadership beliefs
• • To explore leadership potential
• • To orient leadership perceptions and perspectives
• • To differentiate value and need as a leader
• • To describe leadership viewpoints
• • To open up possibilities and opportunities for leadership action
• • To move beyond preconceptions as a leader

Human Leaders Amplifiers Cards and/or App and/or Post-Its Black Sharpies Quiet, preferably private space

All participants are provided with a set of Human Leaders Amplifiers Cards and/or App and/or Post-Its. Depending on budget, the cards can be written on with black Sharpies. If budget is limited, the cards can simply be used as prompts and responses are written on post-its with black Sharpies.

Participants may already have a particular leadership issue that they wish to amplify. If not, invite participants to name a leadership challenge that they are currently navigating or ask them to to describe an uncertain situation that they are keen to clarify. Always ensure that participants choose a specific situation or challenge to set the context for the Human Leader Amplifiers  questions.

The Human Leader Amplifiers process is structured as seven questions, asked in sequence. For each question, ask the participants the question and invite them to write down their answers on the Human Amplifier Leader Cards and/or App and/or Post-Its. Allow 3 to 5 minutes for answering each question. The sequence of seven questions is:

WHO ARE YOU?

Ask the participants the question ‘Who are you as a leader in this situation?’

WHAT DO YOU DO?

Ask the participants the question ‘What do you do as a leader in this situation?’

WHY DO YOU DO IT?

Ask the participants the question ‘Why do you do it as a leader in this situation?’

WHAT DO YOU NEED?

Ask the participants the question ‘What do you need as a leader in this situation?’

WHAT IS YOUR PURPOSE?

Ask the participants the question ‘What is your purpose as a leader in this situation?’

WHAT DO YOU BELIEVE?

Ask the participants the question ‘What do you believe as a leader in this situation?’

WHAT IS YOUR POTENTIAL?

Ask the participants the question ‘What is your potential as a leader in this situation?’

After participants have answered all seven questions, invite them to share their answers or any awarenesses that may have emerged for them. Give the participants the choice to share their answers with the group.

After participants have shared their answers to specific questions, ask the more general question of how their answers have amplified awareness of their specific challenge or particular situation.

Ensure that participants identify a specific challenge or particular situation. Participants may ask questions like ‘what do you mean “who am I?”?’ Answer by inviting them to identify who they are as a leader in that particular situation. Participants can usually answer ‘Who are you?’ and ‘What do you do?’ quite quickly. They may slow down or be challenged by ‘Why do you do it?’

When answering ‘What do you need?’, participants, particularly those who work in a technical environment, will list technical specifications or requirements. Participants may also answer with goals or objectives. Invite  participants to state what they individually need. If participants are challenged by this question, depending on the group, ask them what they desire or yearn for as a leader.

Participants who are knowledge workers or who work in an expertise rich environment they feel that they have to answer the questions immediately. Emphasise that there are no right answers and that they should take the time to be reflective and see what answers emerge for them. At the end of the process, invite participants to share any answers that surprised them or that they felt may have been out of character for them.