Relational Leadership: Be-Know-Do
Relationships are key to the functioning of organizations. They allow for information sharing, collaboration, and generally positive working environments. In my last post, I discussed some of the benefits of Relational Leadership. Now, I’d like to dive deeper into the concept of Relational Leadership using a framework Horizon Performance has adopted to talk about leadership theories.
Be-Know-Do is a simple but profound framework that the US Army uses to focus on the leader. The idea is that leadership is about taking action, but there’s more to being a leader than just what you do. Character (BE) and competence (KNOW), underlie most decisions a leader will make (DO). A person’s values and character attributes combine with their professional and technical knowledge to color the way the way they make decisions and behave when confronted with various leadership challenges. Be-Know-Do acknowledges that leadership is more than just going through the motions of certain behaviors. Therefore, it provides a useful framework to dig deeper into leadership theories.
Relational leadership is defined as a relational process of people together attempting to accomplish change or make a difference to benefit the common good.* The following is an overview of the Be-Know-Do for each of the five components of Relational Leadership, as outlined by Komives & McMahon (1998).
1. Being inclusive starts with believing in the importance of treating all people fairly and equally. Differences in people are not just to be tolerated — they are valuable. It requires knowledge of oneself, others’ realities, and the culture where you operate. Actions include actively listening, engaging in civil discourse and building cohabitations.
2. To be empowering is to believe everyone has something to offer and decision-making responsibilities can be shared. It requires knowledge of power structures and the impact of policies of procedures. It involves encouraging, affirming, and building the capacity of others.
3. A leader must be purposeful. This means to genuinely believe in the ability of the team to achieve their goals — to be positive and optimistic. They must know the role of a vision and have a plan for how to get there. Then, they must actively involve others in the vision-building process and communicate it regularly.
4. To be an ethical leader, in simple terms, means to believe in doing things the “right” way. It requires knowledge of how values are developed and a deep understanding of ethical-decision making. In application, this means to act in a way that is in accordance with one’s values — do the things you say you will do. A leader also has to be comfortable confronting unethical behavior in others.
5. The final component is process-oriented. One first has to believe that the process is as important as the outcome and that good things happen when people trust the process. This requires understanding theories of group process and how systems are interconnected. Then, one has to continually execute and challenge the process by collaborating, reflecting, and encouraging feedback.
A Relational Leader is someone who truly believes in the power of people, has the knowledge required to bring them together, and is able to create an environment conducive to meeting a shared goal. It doesn’t require a formal title — you can start today.
*Komives, S, Lucas, N., & McMahon, T. (1998). Exploring Leadership for College Students What Want to Make A Difference. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass. (68–72).
