The gap between leadership potential and actual performance is a pressing issue that affects team effectiveness and organizational health. Research indicates that while there are numerous tools to assess leadership capability, approximately half of senior executives are likely to underperform, leading to a persistent disparity in leadership quality. This article explores behavioral science-informed strategies designed to enhance leaders’ impact and satisfaction in an ever-changing environment.
Understanding the Leadership Gap
Leadership, at its core, is the ability to coordinate collective human activity effectively. When executed properly, it transforms a group into a high-performing team. This transformation requires not only expertise and intelligence but also self-awareness and a suitable mix of personality traits. Despite a wealth of knowledge on identifying potential leaders, the reality is that many do not live up to their capabilities.
The difference between what leaders can achieve at their best—known as maximal performance—and their everyday actions, termed typical performance, is significant. Industrial organizational psychologists have studied this contrast, revealing that leaders who bridge this gap tend to produce better results and foster healthier teams.
As organizations face increasing unpredictability, leaders must find ways to present their best selves consistently. Four key strategies can help leaders close this gap and adapt to the demands of their roles.
1. Define Your Aspirational Self
Many leaders experience a disconnect between their external achievements and internal fulfillment. They may attain status, compensation, and influence yet feel a sense of existential burnout, where their accomplishments do not align with their personal values. This misalignment often stems from adaptive behaviors developed early in their careers, such as over-performing or pleasing others, which can cloud their true identity.
To mitigate this, leaders should regularly reflect on their motivations. Questions such as “What am I good at?” should be complemented with “What do I want my competence to serve?” Engaging in practices like journaling about peak experiences, seeking 360-degree feedback, and redefining one’s ideal self can help leaders align their actions with their values. As noted by Herminia Ibarra, leadership development is more about self-reinvention than self-discovery.
Leaders can map the gap between their aspirations and daily actions by identifying moments when they felt most authentic versus those when they felt off-track. By recognizing triggers that lead to unproductive behaviors, they can work to align their actions with their aspirations, revisiting their ideal self every three months to ensure continuous growth.
2. Challenge the Existing System
Effective leadership often requires challenging established norms rather than merely optimizing existing systems. Many leaders inadvertently defend the structures they are meant to transform, as the rewards for conformity can overshadow the incentives for innovation. According to Gianpiero Petriglieri from INSEAD, organizations typically hire leaders to maintain continuity rather than provoke change.
To counter this, leaders must cultivate contextual intelligence, which involves understanding the system’s rules without being bound by them. They should distinguish between adaptive behaviors that serve their mission and those that merely protect their comfort. By engaging in small acts of principled dissent, leaders can resist complacency and foster an environment conducive to genuine change.
To shift from compliance to intentional influence, leaders can track instances where they conformed out of fear. These reflections can help them practice principled dissent weekly by addressing unspoken questions or challenging unsupported assumptions.
3. Prioritize Learning Over Performance
Many leaders fall into the trap of prioritizing familiar strengths and maintaining a facade of competence, which can hinder growth. Research shows that those who embrace continuous learning, even at the risk of failure, outperform those focused on appearing competent.
To foster a culture of learning, leaders should build psychological safety within their teams, reward experimentation, and model vulnerability by admitting when they are uncertain. Satya Nadella’s leadership at Microsoft exemplifies this approach, shifting the company’s ethos from “know-it-all” to “learn-it-all.”
Leaders can set “ignorance goals” each month, choosing topics or skills where they lack knowledge. This practice not only normalizes curiosity but also helps dismantle the stigma associated with not knowing. Regularly conducting “pattern audits” after stressful situations can further support leaders in recognizing and adjusting their adaptive behaviors.
4. Embrace Change Despite Discomfort
The process of personal transformation can be daunting, yet it is essential for leadership development. Leaders often cling to familiar habits and preferences that have provided safety and belonging, restricting their growth. Recognizing that behavioral plasticity can decline with age and success, leaders must actively engage in unlearning outdated behaviors.
To resist their natural aversion to change, leaders should identify identity attachments that no longer serve them. By loosening these attachments, they can create a “growth discomfort zone,” where they willingly stretch beyond their comfort levels. This could involve delegating tasks they typically handle themselves or initiating tough conversations they usually avoid.
Through regular unlearning rituals, leaders can evaluate and detach from behaviors that have become liabilities, allowing for a more flexible and adaptive leadership style.
In conclusion, bridging the gap between potential and performance is not merely a matter of effort; it requires a disciplined approach to self-awareness, intentionality, and continuous reinvention. Leaders who learn to recognize their default patterns, challenge the systems around them, maintain a focus on learning, and embrace the discomfort of change are more likely to achieve authentic and effective leadership. The journey toward becoming a better leader is ongoing, and those who consciously engage in this process are positioned to make a meaningful impact within their organizations.