OPTIMIZING YOUR LEADERSHIP PIPELINESM

For these reasons, and many more, opera-

tional leaders are important to a healthy
Leadership PipelineSM within any talent-
focused organization. The paper focuses
on the unique challenges—and infinite
opportunities—that organizations must
By
Richard S. Wellins, Ph.D., ASPIRING AND INCUMBENT consider when developing these leaders.
with Tacy Byham, Ph.D.,
and Jim Concelman
OPERATIONAL TRANSITIONS

LEADERS Moving from a frontline to midlevel position

IN THIS PAPER: “Caught in the middle,”“The frozen layer,”
> Transitions facing or “The blockers”… these are some of the
operational leaders kinder terms that have been used to describe
> The midlevel operational leaders.
Success Profile
When corporations face belt tightening,
> Assessing and
developing operational reengineer their business process, push deci-
leaders sion making down lower in the organization,
> Common categories introduce new technology, or downsize, lead-
of concern at this level ers at the midlevel take the hardest hit.
Yet, when organizations face growth or
complex change operational or midlevel
leaders play a critical role. Many companies
realize their midlevel ranks are a bit thin,
leaving frontline and first-time leaders
with insufficient coaching and support.
WHITE PAPER — OPTIMIZING YOUR LEADERSHIP PIPELINESM
is a significant and challenging transition.
As these leaders move up the ladder,
struggles include:
> Increasing spans of control by managing
other leaders. This means playing a key
role in both the coaching and development
of new leaders, and fostering collaboration
and networking between their own teams
and other parts of the organization.
> Shifting their time (and minds) from
day-to-day tactical activities to key
operational and strategic issues.
> Taking on accountability for leading
business units and teams, including
responsibility for top line growth

Companies struggle to execute business
strategies because midlevel managers play
a significant role in connecting strategies
to the goals and accountabilities of those
leaders and teams who work with them.
They may take on accountability for running
an entire business, or are called upon to
successfully introduce and manage change.
OPERATIONAL LEADERS
and profitability.
> Balancing the multiple requests from the
top of the organization with the needs and
expectations of those that work for them.
So with all of the challenges that come with
leading other leaders, what should organi-
zations look for in leaders at this level?

And, they are usually closer to the business

and customers than many senior managers,
bringing forth ideas for business models,
products and services.

1
© Development Dimensions International, Inc., MMVIII. All rights reserved.
 THE OPERATIONAL LEADER
SUCCESS PROFILE
A successful operational leader will have a
unique combination of skills, knowledge,
experience, and personality attributes.
FIGURE 1: COMPONENTS OF A SUCCESS PROFILESM
Competencies
Some of the most critical skills/ competen-
cies for midlevel leaders include:
> Introducing and managing change by
continuously seeking opportunities for
different and innovative approaches
to addressing organizational problems
and opportunities.
> Creating strong partnerships with others
WHITE PAPER — OPTIMIZING YOUR LEADERSHIP PIPELINESM
through appropriate interpersonal com-
munication to influence and build effec-
tive relationships with business partners.
> Building customer loyalty and engagement
by cultivating strategic relationships and
ensuring that the customer perspective
is always considered.
OPERATIONAL LEADERS
> Coaching and developing others as a
© Development Dimensions International, Inc., MMVIII. All rights reserved.
leader who provides timely coaching,
guidance, and feedback to help others
excel on the job and meet key account-
abilities.
> Leading high performance teams.
Operational leaders must develop,
motivate, and guide their teams toward
successful outcomes and attainment of
business objectives.
> Honing analysis and decision making
skills, which includes relating and com-
paring; securing relevant information
and identifying key issues; creating back-
up plans and committing to an action,
and organizational values.
Knowledge
Operational leaders need:
> Keen awareness of their company’s
business model, financial history and
future, competitive analysis, and other
key operational statistics.
> Greater understanding of other parts of
the organization and processes, products,
technology, or functions.
> Overall knowledge of business unit and
corporate strategies and critical measures
of success.
> In multinationals, increased knowledge
of international operations, global markets,
and cultural differences.
Experiences
Experience will vary considerably based
on the role of the operational manager.
A few common experiences include:
 > Leading a business unit with profit/loss
accountabilities.
> Managing a significant function such as
marketing, sales, finance, or I.T.
> Lead cross-functional teams or matrix
units in areas such as product launches,
quality improvement, customer loyalty,
and so on.
> Preparation and presentation of
business plans.
> If multinational, a global assignment
or project would be advantageous.
Personal Attributes
Successful midlevel managers should
demonstrate:
> Hunger for continued learning and growth.
> High receptivity to feedback.
> Significant flexibility/adaptability.
> Humility coupled with self-confidence.
> Willingness to take reasonable,
calculated risks.
> High interpersonal sensitivity and per-
ceptivity, successfully connecting with
people and understanding where they
are coming from.
ASSESSING OPERATIONAL LEADERS
WHITE PAPER — OPTIMIZING YOUR LEADERSHIP PIPELINESM
We believe that intelligence an organiza-
tion must gather for operational leaders
falls into three distinct categories, each
requiring different tools and processes
for gauging capability:
> Potential: The likelihood that an
individual can and will grow into a
OPERATIONAL LEADERS
successful leader at one or more levels
above his/her current position, or into a
role with significantly expanded leader-
ship responsibilities.
© Development Dimensions International, Inc., MMVIII. All rights reserved.
> Performance: The degree of an individ-
ual’s success in executing the objectives
and competencies required in his/her
current role.
> Readiness: The degree to which an
individual’s knowledge, experience,
competencies and personal attributes
meet the requirements of a specific
role, job or job family.
Identifying Potential
Failure rates of operational leaders continue
to soar, costing organizations lost customers,
low team engagement, and high replacement
costs. Getting an accurate reading on the
potential of leaders being considered for
midlevel management positions helps
organizations make better selection and
promotion decisions.
To promote into the midlevel leadership
ranks, DDI offers the Leadership Insights
Inventory, (LII)®, which gauges the poten-
tial of lower level leaders to move into
midlevel/operational roles. The LII process
includes the completion of an online survey
by the aspiring (or high-potential) midlevel
manager. It is designed to assess leadership
promise, personal development orientation,
the ability to balance values and results,
and mastery of complexity. Early career
leaders who demonstrate potential in these
areas as well as solid present performance
and motivation to advance are good candi-
dates for midlevel positions.
Assessing Performance
Assessing performance in current roles
requires an effective and disciplined
approach to performance management and
evaluation. The information discussed or
gathered during the performance manage-
ment process is often unreliable. Senior
 managers either lack the skills and/or disci-
pline to conduct rigorous appraisals of
people or operational leaders. Or, they are
fearful of differentiating superior performers
from average or low performers. DDI’s
Maximizing Performance® system provides
organizations with a solid approach to
> Simulations: DDI offers a series of
improving the rigor, discipline, and effective-
ness of a performance management system
by building the skills and confidence that
high-level managers need to accurately
gauge other leaders’ current performance.
Multi-rater tools (360º) are also effective
in supplementing a sound performance
management process by gathering percep-
tions of current performance from peers,
subordinates, higher level managers, and
customers. DDI offers two approaches to
multi-rater evaluation: Leadership Mirror®
for a traditional multi-rater or self-only
assessment; and Targeted Feedback®,
which parcels out top-priority strengths and
growth areas requiring the most attention.
Assessing Readiness
Assessment data enables organizations to
look at aggregate group profiles to deter-
mine if they have the right team in place.
For example, if your business focuses on
high growth, a group of operational leaders
adverse to risk taking and introducing
WHITE PAPER — OPTIMIZING YOUR LEADERSHIP PIPELINESM
change may be a real liability.
> Personality and Leadership Traits:
Assessing readiness usually involves
gathering information on a person’s
competence to assume a role they have
not yet performed. Some of the tools
useful in assessing readiness include:
> Behavioral Interviewing: DDI’s
OPERATIONAL LEADERS
Targeted Selection® (TS®) system gathers
information on a candidate’s past experi-
ence, behaviors, and skills relevant to
© Development Dimensions International, Inc., MMVIII. All rights reserved.
those required in an upper level
position/role. TS is tailored to the
organization’s specific Success Profile®
and is backed by over three decades
of research. TS is helpful for both
promotion and outside hiring.
simulations designed around an opera-
tional/ midlevel leader role, which assess
a candidate’s abilities regarding a compe-
tency or skill areas they have not had an
opportunity to perform. Examples
include launching a new product
launch, building global partnerships,
managing strategic customer relation-
ships, coaching a subordinate manager,
and preparing a business plan. These
simulations are usually tied together into
a single “day in the life” assessment last-
ing a day (though sometimes more).
Assessing Talent® offers platforms for
operational leaders that can be delivered
onsite, using web-based technology and
telephone role plays. Candidates can
also travel to DDI’s Acceleration
Centers® for a thorough, more immersive
experience. During the simulation expe-
rience, the participant receives an agen-
da with appointments, holds meetings
(virtually or live) with role players, and
completes e-mail and analysis exercises.
Personality attributes often come into
play in determining a candidate’s ultimate
success —or failure—in higher level roles.
DDI’s Global Leadership Inventories
gauge both personality enablers
(e.g. ambition, learning orientation)
and potential derailers (e.g. risk
evasiveness, arrogance).
 While each readiness assessment can work
independently, the predictive validity of
ultimate success as a middle manager is
greatly enhanced by combining techniques.
DEVELOPING OPERATIONAL LEADERS
Unlike first-time and senior leaders, opera-
tional leaders vary widely in terms of roles
and accountabilities. In many larger organi-
zations, a midlevel manager may manage
three to four team leaders in a manufactur-
ing environment, manage a call center
operation, or may even be responsible for
running an entire business unit in a role
with global responsibilities. The majority
of operational leaders play either general
leadership roles or roles requiring a high-
level of functional expertise, such as R&D,
finance, or marketing. Additionally, organi-
zations must address both transitional
development needs for newer midlevel
leaders, as well as requirements for longer-
term mastery among established leaders
with potential for strategic roles.
After development experiences, coaching
and support to reinforce skill qualification
becomes critical. And, as managers move
up the ladder more and more development
will take place beyond the walls of a
physical classroom.
WHITE PAPER — OPTIMIZING YOUR LEADERSHIP PIPELINESM
The bottom line is that a “one-size fits all”
approach to development at this level
is unlikely to work. Reliable assessment
data from methods described above helps
pinpoint specific development needs for
each manager, allowing a more efficient
approach to learning and development.
And, multiple learning approaches and a
OPERATIONAL LEADERS
wide variety of content exist to meet the
development needs at this level.
© Development Dimensions International, Inc., MMVIII. All rights reserved.
> Formal classroom activities. Some
courses from Interaction Management:
Exceptional Leaders…Extraordinary
Results® are appropriate to address these
leaders’ skill gaps. Targeted Management:
Components of Effective Leadership® is
a competency-based learning system
designed specifically for experienced
leaders and address topics including
delegation, inspiring commitment, and
decision making.
> Coaching support from their man-
agers and action learning assign-
ments. Coaching and action learning
needs to be offered with an operational
leader’s specific needs in mind. Coaching
helps operational leaders address chal-
lenges, while action learning fosters the
acquisition of new skills.
> Online performance support tools.
Like an encyclopedia of information,
tools, videos, and other developmental
support, online tools offer accessible,
just-in-time tools. DDI offers OPAL®,
which is appropriate for a wide range of
associates including operational leaders.
COMMON CLIENT SCENARIOS
Below are some general categories of
content that we often are asked to
address at this level by our clients.
> Leadership Fundamentals
Operational leaders sometimes need to
sharpen basic leadership skills such as
coaching, handling conflict, setting clear
expectations, retaining and engaging
high performers, managing meetings/
teams and reviewing performance.
These functions are essential to the role
of midlevel managers. In the majority of
organizations these areas are addressed
 at lower levels. However, in many cases we
find individual managers or entire groups
have never mastered these skills or are in
dire need of a refresher.
> Managing Partnerships
While operational leaders directly lead
their own teams, much of their work relies
on strong partnerships inside and outside
the organization. Skills in building strong
relationships, influencing others, building
trust, and helping create focus on the
customer are critical in today’s collabora-
tive and global work environments.
> Developing Organizational Talent
Operational leaders not only need to
do an excellent job of developing
others and coaching, they need to
take a more strategic look at developing
future high-performers. This includes
actively supporting the development
CONTACT INFORMATION of the leaders that report to them, diag-
nosing team strengths and weaknesses,
WORLD HEADQUARTERS
412.257.0600 identifying and developing those with
E-MAIL INFO@DDIWORLD.COM the highest future leadership potential,
WWW.DDIWORLD.COM/LOCATIONS and making the right selection and
promotion decisions in the first place.
> Executing Business Strategy
Developing a sound business strategy is
one thing; executing it is another matter
all together. Midlevel leaders are often
WHITE PAPER — OPTIMIZING YOUR LEADERSHIP PIPELINESM
required to execute their own strategic
plans or successfully implement strate-
gies that are passed down. Skills in this
OPERATIONAL LEADERS
MKTLDWP18-08080MA © Development Dimensions International, Inc., MMVIII. All rights reserved.
area include understanding how one’s
own role relates to driving organizational
priorities, assessing the team they have
in place to execute, and leveraging orga-
nizational systems (e.g. skills, rewards,
communication, accountability) to
ensure successful execution.
> Enhancing Social Intelligence
The single biggest derailer of operational
leaders is not due to technical skills, busi-
ness judgment, or functional knowledge.
It is related to emotional or social intelli-
gence. DDI’s social intelligence program
is similar to an advanced degree in inter-
personal skills. Topics covered include a
high-impact model of interpersonal skills,
analyzing real time challenges and situa-
tions requiring interpersonal mastery, and
the opportunity to promote these tough
situations in a safe learning environment.
Operational leaders are both the linchpin
between strategy and tactical execution
and potential next strategic leaders. To
keep their Leadership Pipeline flowing,
organizations must re-focus on developing
managerial mastery and cultivating the
special subset of midlevel leaders who
have the potential to lead at the next level.
For additional thought leadership and
other white papers in the “Optimizing
Your Leadership Pipeline” series, go to
www.ddiworld.com/leadershippipeline.