Appendix

Tools to Discover and Develop Hidden Leaders

Throughout this book, you have seen and perhaps used the worksheets and assessments embedded in various chapters to evaluate a specific hidden leader, yourself, or your organization’s culture. Hopefully, these tools provided you some insights into the concepts of The Hidden Leader and deepened your understanding of how you can discover and develop hidden leaders for the benefit of your organization, yourself, and the hidden leaders.

This appendix organizes all of the tools into a succinct process that will further help you discover and develop hidden leaders in your organization. The process entails three steps:

[1]  Discover specific individuals who have the highest potential to be or become hidden leaders.

[2]  Evaluate specific hidden leaders to determine and support their strengths and identify potential areas for improvement in order to develop them into full-fledged hidden leaders.

[3]  Determine how well your company culture supports hidden leaders, and identify ways you can improve specific cultural aspects or processes to help hidden leadership thrive overall.

The tools in this appendix are organized around this process. The following chart leads you through the process and identifies which tool to use, when, and how. If you have already completed some portions of the process, review the “When you want to . . .” column to see what each tool will accomplish. Note the “How to use” column for insights into the best ways to apply each tool, and what you can do with the results.

THE PROCESS

Discover the Hidden Leader

Use this tool…	When you want to…	How to use
Identify Integrity (page 197)	… discover a hidden leader.	Keep an open mind. Respond quickly. Focus on a group of people, an area, or department.
What Kind of Leader? (pages 198-199)	… evaluate a specific person for a focus on results in terms of initiative and perspective.	Review observed behaviors on the tool. Note a specific person’s actions over 7-10 days. Score and use rubric to determine what kind of leader the person is.
Assess a Relational Leader (page 200)	… evaluate a specific person for relational leadership skills.	Review observed behaviors on the tool. Note a specific person’s actions over 7-10 days. Score.
Assess the Customer-Purposed Hidden Leader (page 201)	… evaluate a specific person for the basics of being customer purposed.	Review observed behaviors on the tool. Note a specific person’s actions over 7-10 days. Score.

Develop the Hidden Leader

Use this tool…	When you want to…	How to use
Evaluate A Hidden Leader (pages 202-205)	… assess an identified hidden leader to determine strengths and goals for improvement	Give copies of the tool to the hidden leader and a trusted colleague. Review the tool. Note the hidden leader’s actions over 7-10 days. Score. Ask the hidden leader and colleague for their scores. Compare, contrast, and conclude.
		Note: Simplify and focus by using specific portions of the tool.

Support the Hidden Leader

Use this tool…	When you want to…	How to use
Evaluate Your Company’s Integrity (page 206)	…evaluate your culture’s integrity and how it supports hidden leaders.	Respond thoughtfully, identifying specific events to support your ratings. Research if necessary. Score. Use as a basis for management discussion.
Your Organization’s Culture (pages 207-208)	…discover how well your company supports relational leaders.	Review observed behaviors on the tool. Note when they occur over 7-10 days. Score. Use as a basis for management discussion. Note: Simplify and focus by using specific portions of the tool.
Evaluate Your Performance-Measurement System (page 209)	…assess your company’s performance-measurement system’s effectiveness for developing all employees.	Respond thoughtfully, identifying specific events to support your ratings. Research if necessary. Score. Use as a basis for management discussion.

WORKSHEET: IDENTIFY INTEGRITY

Use the worksheet below to help identify potential hidden leaders who demonstrate integrity in your organization. Answer each question without too much thought. You will remember the hidden leaders you’ve unknowingly interacted with or heard about. The online worksheet enables you to print or share your results.

bit.ly/GFJUpm

Answer this question…	By identifying a specific person
(Answer by identifying the first person who comes to mind.)	(Write a function or job title if you wish to protect the person’s identity.)
A work team is stuck with a process problem. Who would its members ask outside of the team for help?
A project faces a potential conflict of interest. Who raised the issue in the first place to the project team?
When your team must make a decision without all the facts, to whom do the members go for advice?
Who in your work group will dependably make decisions or act to address a problem?
Who in your work group would you ask to identify someone who might be good for a specific role or project?
Who in your organization is known for honesty? Collaboration? Ingenuity?
If you wanted to understand what someone in another function does, who might you ask in your company?
Who did you name most often?

WORKSHEET: WHAT KIND OF LEADER?

How do you know if a potential hidden leader has a strong focus on results? Think of a specific person, and then check the behaviors that you have observed. Add the scores for each behavior for a total score. Use the rubric that follows to determine which of the four potential roles the person fulfills. The online worksheet will calculate this for you.

bit.ly/1acfS5Q

RUBRIC

Place the “initiative” score on the horizontal line, and the “perspective” score on the vertical line. Then look below to see what each quadrant means.

WHAT KIND OF LEADER?

  Quadrant 1: Dreamer

  Quadrant 2: Plodder

  Quadrant 3: Hidden Leader

  Quadrant 4: Hyper-Actor

WORKSHEET: ASSESS A RELATIONAL LEADER

Think of a potential hidden leader and respond to the statements below by circling the number that most represents that person’s behaviors. The higher the score, the more likely you have spotted a hidden leader who leads through relationships. The online worksheet will calculate this for you.

bit.ly/1a2L6uR

WORKSHEET: ASSESS THE CUSTOMER-PURPOSED HIDDEN LEADER

Think of a specific member of your team who you suspect is a customer-purposed hidden leader. Then read the descriptions below. For each one, circle the number from 1 to 5 that reflects how often you see that person behaving in that way. The higher the ending number, the more likely you have a customer-purposed hidden leader. The online worksheet will calculate for you automatically.

bit.ly/194qQfk

WORKSHEET: EVALUATE A HIDDEN LEADER

The better you can pinpoint a hidden leader’s strengths, the easier it will be to develop missing skills and characteristics. Think of a specific person, and then review the pages that follow. Check the behaviors you have observed in all four areas: has integrity that shows, leads through relationships, focuses on results, and is customer purposed. The more checkmarks in each level, the more developed your hidden leader’s abilities. The online worksheet will calculate this for you.

bit.ly/16Mu2hD

Notice that when you evaluate integrity that shows, you are evaluating both the hidden leader’s ability to show integrity and others’ perception of that integrity. There are no levels of integrity per se, because there are no variations on integrity. One has integrity or not. In terms of evaluating the hidden leader, then, you are simply evaluating that leader’s ability to show the integrity that already exists within the leader’s personality.

EVALUATE A HIDDEN LEADER: HAS INTEGRITY THAT SHOWS

Description: Has the courage to consistently adhere to a strong ethical code, even in difficult situations.

Behaviors of the hidden leader

Observed Behaviors	Evaluate: Yes or No
Carefully evaluates before making promises that will be hard to fulfill
Keeps commitments regularly
Matches actions to verbal commitments
Informs colleagues regularly about changing workloads or deadlines
Consistently adheres to a strong personal ethical code
Acts in accordance with company values
Addresses potential ethical issues before they become major problems
Makes ethical decisions consistently
Speaks up when integrity issues are on the table, even if they are unpopular
Describes both sides of an issue or argument
Confronts others who act unethically or dishonestly

Behaviors of the hidden leader’s colleagues

Observed Behaviors	Evaluate: Yes or No
Trusts the hidden leader to act in the best interests of the organization, its employees, and its customers
Describes hidden leader’s treatment of others as fair and honest
Models personal ethical behavior on that of the hidden leader
Identifies the hidden leader as a good resource to help resolve disputes, clarify ambiguous situations, and address challenges
Describes support from the hidden leader for efforts, accomplishments, and professional development

EVALUATE A HIDDEN LEADER: LEADS THROUGH RELATIONSHIPS

Description:

•   Uses interpersonal skills effectively

•   Exercises a sense of curiosity

•   Values others

•   Believes in personal value to others, whether as a co-worker or as a friend

Observed Behaviors

Level 1	Level 2	Level 3	Level 4
Appears approachable and friendly   Seeks the opinions of colleagues   Actively develops new relationships across the organization   Credits others privately for successes and contributions   Communicates to supervisor appropriately concerning colleagues and work issues	Establishes strong rapport with colleagues   Works comfortably with colleagues to complete assignments   Handles challenging situations without raising negative emotions in self, reducing conflict   Demonstrates respect for others in public   Gives honest and balanced feedback appropriately when asked   Communicates to management appropriately concerning colleagues and work issues	Asks questions to understand colleagues’ issues and concerns   Helps to manage conflict in his or her work group without raising negative emotions in others   Helps others understand his or her thought process, making connections for listeners between important points   Credits others publicly for successes and contributions   Involves colleagues who appear shy or hesitant in discussions and conversations	Promotes collaboration and teamwork throughout the company   Manages conflict effectively at many levels throughout the company   Connects with people in other teams or divisions that help improve results for the business   Offers honest and balanced feedback appropriately   Shares relevant information broadly throughout the organization

EVALUATE A HIDDEN LEADER: A FOCUS ON RESULTS

Description: Uses the ends to define the means to achieve a goal, and maintains independent initiative to act.

Observed Behaviors

Level 1	Level 2	Level 3	Level 4
Maintains initiative to achieve assigned objectives   Focuses actions on business priorities and goals   Effectively addresses barriers to goals   Expresses personal commitment to achieve assigned objectives	Displays a sense of urgency for achieving goals   Meets commitments to attain goals   Suggests new ways to improve efficiency and productivity   Ensures that goals describe outcomes rather than process or input   Productive beyond routine assignments	Asks questions to determine the best processes to achieve results   Adjusts or stretches process steps to achieve goals   Describes end goals in terms of results   Identifies a variety of actions that will achieve a goal   Sets effective priorities to meet business goals and customer needs	Provides ideas and information that influence the goals of the business   Suggests procedural improvements to achieve results for customers   Describes critical measures that most affect the company’s performance

EVALUATE A HIDDEN LEADER: IS CUSTOMER PURPOSED

Description: Sees the big picture of the company’s value promise and acts in ways that enable that promise for the paying customer.

Observed Behaviors

Level 1	Level 2	Level 3	Level 4
Shows authentic enthusiasm for the job   Demonstrates adequate communication and technical job skills   Asks for help when skills are inadequate or situations are challenging   Describes how customers experience the organization   Describes the importance of making a difference for customers   Responds rapidly to customer needs and concerns   Accepts change initiatives in performing job responsibilities	Demonstrates passion for delivering value to the customer who pays   Demonstrates an equal balance of average communication and technical job skills   Asks for help when skills are inadequate or situations are challenging   Routinely interacts with customers to get feedback on business performance   Displays a sense of urgency for achieving goals   Helps others understand the need for major changes in process or market approach	Encourages others to link their work to the value promise of the organization   Demonstrates a balance of above-average communication and technical skills   Cultivates customer relationships that provide insight into potential improvements   Uses customer data to influence business objectives   Prompts a sense of urgency in others to meet customer needs   Supports change initiatives by integrating initiative goals into actions	Promotes loyalty to the organization based on its value promise and values   Demonstrates an equal balance of exceptional communication and technical skills   Suggests ways to adapt company strategy to support customer expectations   Looks for ways to keep up with changes in the marketplace or customer base   Promotes change initiatives by helping others commit to the change

WORKSHEET: EVALUATE YOUR COMPANY’S INTEGRITY

While most people believe they have integrity, their actions may indicate that their code of ethics is not strong or consistent, or they lack courage to speak truth during conflict or in difficult situations. The same is true of organizational cultures. How peers and executives respond to hidden leaders’ visible integrity illustrates the company’s level of integrity. Use the statements below to assess how well your company supports hidden leaders and their integrity. Access the worksheet online for an automatic score.

bit.ly/1gg382X

ASSESSMENT: YOUR ORGANIZATION’S CULTURE

How functional is your company’s relational culture? This assessment will help you understand areas where your culture may be making success difficult. Read each of the statements and assign a value to each. The lower the score in each area, the more that area may be negatively affecting your organization’s culture. The online worksheet calculates the assessment for you.

bit.ly/195kaf1

ASSESSMENT: EVALUATE YOUR PERFORMANCE-MEASUREMENT SYSTEM

This assessment can help you evaluate your company’s performance-measurement system. It will provide an overall picture of your system’s status and identify potential directions for improvement. The higher the score, the more effective your system. The online worksheet will calculate this for you.

bit.ly/1e2aDZ3