The LEL-c: Introducing a LIFE-cycle for Leadership Enrichment

Having a well-designed Leadership Platform is the first step. But like any living document, it must be continually renewed to avoid stagnation. In Take Your Lead, this process of continual renewal and improvement is called the Leadership Enrichment LIFE-cycle (LEL-c).

The LEL-c is a solution to the "knowing-doing gap"—the common failure to take new leadership information and use it to improve performance. It provides a roadmap for transforming thinking into knowing, knowing into doing, and doing into performing.

The LIFE-cycle is comprised of four progressive and sequential stages, each building on the last. For a platform to be truly enriched, all four stages must be completed.

Here is a brief overview of the four stages:

Stage 1: LIFELONG LEARNING: This is the "Plan" phase, where you define and design your platform by elevating your thinking. It’s about being open to new information about yourself and your leadership.

Stage 2: INTERNAL LOCUS OF CONTROL: This is the "Do" phase, where you build and modify your platform. It requires accepting responsibility for what you've learned and committing to worthwhile change.

Stage 3: FULFILLMENT: This is the "Check" or "Validate" phase. Here, you strength-test your platform by taking purposeful action and measuring your growth.

Stage 4: EXCELLENCE: This is the "Act" phase, where you leverage your refined platform to lead effectively. This stage is about achieving for and with others, which in turn sparks a new cycle of learning.

Within each stage are two key components: an Emotional Connector that provides the energy for movement (e.g., Awareness, Acceptance) and a Performance Waypoint that serves as a tangible target (e.g., Learn, Change).

The LEL-c provides a systematic way to ensure your leadership doesn't just exist on paper but becomes a dynamic force for positive, lasting impact.

Starting with our next post, we will take a closer look at each of these four stages, beginning with the foundational step: Lifelong Learning.