The F.I.R.S.T. Leadership Framework
Powered by Influence Solutions, the proprietary and path-breaking F.I.R.S.T. Leadership framework covers three fundamental leadership competencies:
1. Thought Leadership - The way you think, your approach to learning, problem-solving, decision-making, innovation, change and self-leadership.
2. People Leadership - The intention with which you engage, develop and empower human capital. The way in which you harness diversity, build trust, transparency and collaboration.
3. Results Leadership - Your approach to understanding the needs of your (internal and external) clients and towards creating the right conditions to ensure these are met in the most effective and memorable manner.
The framework helps you view these three leadership competencies through the lens of five outcomes that are the hallmark of any inspiring leader and effective manner; the need to be F.I.R.S.T. - which is, Future-ready, Innovative, Relevant, Strategic and Trusted.
F - Future-readiness. Ready for the future, both in terms of your own career and as a leader. This is your ability to foresee, pre-empt, adapt, innovate and thrive on change, disruption. It encompasses your ability to foresee the constantly evolving needs of (internal and external) customers and / or environmental, and ensuring you are ready for them.
I - Innovation. Introducing new ideas; original and creative in thinking. Inclination to challenge the status quo constructively, experiment and seek new or different ways of doing things. Willingness to respond rapidly to changing circumstances.
R - Relevance. The state of being closely connected or appropriate to the matter at hand. Relevance can also be defined as how connected you are with the situation on the ground, what's really happening in the organisation, or in the business environment.
S - Strategic. Being strategic includes finding and developing the required foresight capacity for your organisation, by exploring all possible organizational futures, and challenging conventional thinking to foster decision making today.
T - Trusted. The ability to create feelings of dependability and reliability, which is the cornerstone of influence. This is the 'brand assurance' which enables people to trust our intentions and rely on our capabilities, and know that we mean what we say and say what we mean. Then only would the required psychological safety be present in the organisation such that people are open, willing to share problems, ask for help, seek feedback and escalate problems in time and constructively.
