The Third Dimension of Leadership – An Overview of the HEP Elements.

What is it about Leadership not spoken or written already that we possibly can write or speak now? Every industry needs good leaders. Everyone wants to either be led by a good leader or become a good leader someday. The definition of a good leader varies from context to context. Leadership as a concept is as wide as it is broad with multiple layers in between. There is no one singular way to define or holistically look at leadership. Hence, the idea here is not to theoretically define leadership but to take a look at a few nuances of it so as to make it more ‘close to the real World’ and more ‘actionable’.

And, to do that we will delve into the concept of leadership from a different angle. If we consider Leadership as a 3D model, then there is chance that we all know the first two by heart. Literally, everyone knows what it takes to be a good leader. Then why is that we always compare and judge? Why is that we like the leadership of some and completely despise that of others. It’s a mystery isn’t it? This is mainly due to the fact that an entire dimension of it usually stays within the realm of proverbial ‘common sense’. That third dimension of leadership is what makes it truly ‘actionable’ in a real world business scenario. Now, what do I really mean by that?

The third dimension of leadership is a collective integration of certain elements that govern leadership and something that differentiates a great leader from a good one. Being a leader is a responsibility, it’s not a role and leadership is the way leaders perform their responsibilities. From that standpoint, leadership in a way is like a tool that leaders have at their disposal. And, the way one develops the required skills to use that tool effectively is what makes one grow as a leader. However, unless we are able to see and understand that difference with 100% clarity we will not be able to do what is needed for us to build the right layers to our own unique Leadership style. Often times we get carried away with too many overlapping layers of Leadership and lose our focus on what actually matters.

Is leadership all about profitability? Is leadership all about performance? Is leadership all about business success and growth? If you ask me, I would say ‘Yes’ to all the previous questions. However, if we take a closer look we would find that at the core of those three questions rest one common thread and that’s the ‘Human, Personal & Emotional’ elements of Leadership. For easy reference let us call them together as the HEP elements since these elements are interrelated in nature and do not follow any particular order as such. The HEP elements constitute the third (depth) dimension of Leadership.

Now, let us try and throw some more light on this HEP elements, shall we? Okay!

The HEP elements

The HEP elements are as mentioned earlier interrelated and at times can appear as one single aspect instead of three separate ones. However, these highly debatable yet extremely important nuances of leadership often get all entangled into the other layers and lose their sheen. If the goal of leadership is to create a better future, then these elements function like cogs and keep the momentum going for that goal to be achieved. HEP elements are mutually inclusive in nature which means multiple factors of each element often overlap impacting each other and generating a common outcome.

3 Layered HEP Model

The HEP elements form a 3 layered model as shown below. The layer one is the base layer which includes the Human element. Layer two or the middle layer is the Personal element. And, the layer three or the top layer is the Emotional element.

The Human Element

The Human element is the base or the foundational layer of the HEP elements. At the core of this is the fact that we are all humans first. We live in a human World; and, we do things the human way. This human element keeps us all grounded, gives a solid meaning to ‘why we do; what we do’.

Now, on the surface as simple as this appears to be the fact that we are all humans also makes it highly complex and demanding a pursuit at the same time. For the simple reason that humans are by design heterogeneous. No single approach can aptly cover the vast dynamics of the human element.

This is for this reason that it is not good enough for leaders to just have the realization of being a human. A good leader has to learn to internalize the sense of co-existence and externalize the actions towards other humans in compliance with the complex human factors at play such as our fight to survive nature as demonstrated by our history of evolution, our need for social acceptance, our shared beliefs, our innovation mindset, our quest for hidden truth, our need of being in groups, our need for communication and our unique behavioral traits.

A good leader has to learn to internalize the sense of co-existence and externalize the actions towards other humans in compliance with the complex human factors at play…

The Personal Element

The Personal element forms the middle layer of the HEP model. This element takes the human factor one step deeper to an individual level from an overarching species level. The individuality of this element brings in the aspect of diversity that all leaders need to learn to appreciate, accept and adapt.

At the personal element layer of this model a leader needs to be aware of the physiological factors, linguistic preferences, cultural impressions, acceptable behavioral patterns, explicit & implied communications and body language. This layer acts as the connector between the Human and the Emotional layer.

A good leader needs to consider the specific personal traits of other fellow humans at every instance of interaction. Personalization of our engagement is the key here. With careful observation we can develop a keen sense of understanding that will supercharge our leadership ability by enabling the personalization needed to successfully engage with another person.

A good leader needs to consider the specific personal traits of other fellow humans at every instance of interaction. Personalization of our engagement is the key here.

The Emotional Element

The Emotional element forms the last yet the most critical layer of the model. This is where things get a lot more complex and yet more interesting. What makes this layer highly complex is the interaction between the mind and the heart aspect. The more this interaction blurs the difference of our perception, expression, reaction and response the more complex it gets. No amount of training or gaining knowledge would suffice to deal with this element unless we become mindful of its existence and observe utmost preparedness.

Human psychology is a vast area of expertise, And, thus it is almost next to impossible for a mere mortal to fathom the multiple dimensions of human emotions. A good leader needs to display integrity, authenticity, transparency and a strong sense of mutual respect. Being mindful of his own emotions and those of others is a critical aspect of effective leadership. He must at all cost take actions that complements our needs, wants, fears, dreams and desires such as our desire to succeed, fear of failure, fear of ridicule, fear of social rejection, fight or flight response, uncontrolled reactions, our sense of belonging, longing for recognition, need for purpose and direction etc.

A good leader needs to display integrity, authenticity, transparency and a strong sense of mutual respect. Being mindful of his own emotions and those of others is a critical aspect of effective leadership.

Conclusion:

This third depth dimension of leadership or the HEP elements is often over emphasized and under implemented. We love talking about them but shy away from practicing them in their truest forms. Every leadership program has these elements in various degrees of detailing as part of the curriculum. However, that’s where the buck stops as well.

We humans tend to forget our human side, overlook the personal aspects and underestimate the power of emotions. For true leadership to flourish we have to consciously put in effort to take cognizance of the power of HEP elements as a collective model instead of separate attributes. Mindful application of these elements will help redefine our perspectives and refine our actions. The third dimension thus brings in a sense of assurance and completeness to the concept of Leadership. It makes it more realism driven and more actionable!

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Disclaimer: The above article is based on personal understanding and views of the author. The concepts discussed are solely for informational purposes and should not be considered as professional advice or guidance. The author does not take responsibility for any positive or negative impact resulting from the application of these concepts or ideas. Readers are advised to exercise their own judgment and discretion when implementing any information provided in this article. The author recommends seeking professional advice or conducting further research to verify and validate any concepts or ideas discussed. The author shall not be held liable for any consequences or damages arising from the use of the information presented in this article.