Whole-Brain Leadership Model™
The Vizalution Whole Brain Leadership Model incorporates four universal leadership capabilities: Realizing, Connecting, Visioning, and Advancing. Each of these capabilities are connected by visual thinking and visual learning methodologies. Our focus is to connect the behavior and unique style of leaders to these universal leadership capabilities.
1. Realizing – Identifying and Understanding Current Realities
Identifying and understanding the key realities of an organization from both an internal and external perspective is critical to strategic planning and goal achievement. Example components of the process include:
• Seeking many types and sources of data
• Involving others in the process of understanding
• Applying different thinking to existing frameworks
• Moving beyond stereotypes and the status quo
• Creating small experiments – learn, adapt, apply
• Utilizing visuals, metaphors, and stories to capture and communicate
2. Connecting – Establish Meaningful Relationships
In our hyper-networked age the ability to connect seemingly dissimilar ideas and actions and to build trusting and meaningful relationships with people are critical skills. Learning to “connect” ideas and actions and build collaborative relationships takes practice. Key success factors include:
• Developing deep listening skills to better understand the said and unsaid
• Encouraging others to voice their opinions without fear
• Providing clarity on where one stands and how one reaches a position
• Flexibility to adjust ones position based upon valid input and learning’s
• Understanding different perspectives and withholding judgment while listening
• Gaining trust and engaging others
• Inquiry – the ability to ask questions
3. Visioning – Creating and Visualizing A Compelling Vision
We may not all be visual thinkers, yet most of us are visual learners. Visions motivate people to action and support them to understand how they fit, what their role is and how they may best contribute. We teach leaders how to motivate teams into action on a vision and understand how value will be created. Some of the keys to visioning include:
• Creating visions that excite and motivate people to action
• Showcasing how people fit into the vision and the value created
• Utilization of stories, metaphors and visuals as a method to communicate a vision
• Engaging people to be part of creating the vision and moving it forward
• Embodying the key values of the vision – “walk the talk”
4. Advancing – Transforming Vision Into Reality
Execution, execution, execution. Creating the key processes and structures needed to transform vision into reality is the great differentiator between moving an organization to the next level or remain the same. Leaders have to create realistic action steps to achieve the desired vision. Key elements of successfully advancing a vision include:
• Engaging and motivating teams to keep momentum alive
• Improving ways in which people work together
• Clear and structured communication on actions required
• Supporting teams to understand their individual and group roles
• Experimenting with new and different ways to work together