The Leadership Psychodynamics Model finds its roots in observing the patterns that play themselves out around us and reveal telltale cause and effect signs.

The intricate interplay between individuals and groups and the driving beliefs, emotions, and behaviours underpinning it all, is what reveals the patterns driving the human dynamic leaders must master.

This model is the outcome of years of observation, evaluation, diagnostics, and multiple ‘in practice’ applications and iterations that form the backbone of the Leadership Psychodynamics Model.

At the core of this model is the desire to help leaders remove the overwhelming noise and clutter, and equip you with an easy to use model to effectively navigate the complexity and volatility of the human dynamic you lead.

The critical leadership factor

Within every endeavour we undertake, where people are involved, this human dynamic of people becomes the critical factor between success, average, and failure.

Tapping into human potential

The human dynamic is the key to succeeding, but it is also the most complex, and volatile element in the mix. Tapping into the latent potential that exists within this dynamic, and avoiding the trigger points that push human dynamic into a resistant, or destructive force, is what the leader is challenged with.

Difference between poor, average, and great leaders

Understanding and having the ability to harness the human dynamic potential is the difference between poor, average, and great leaders, and the defining factor in the type of results achieved.

There are patterns that reveal the core problems

Through his years of establishing business units, running businesses, and troubleshooting complex project portfolios spanning multiple industry sectors, Steve Vanstraaten (architect of the Leadership Psychodynamics model) has observed that there are recurring patterns and common themes at the core of most problems.

The root cause is primarily at the leaders level

Despite the common perception and thinking that almost all problems are technical or systems related, the patterns reveal a different story.

What Steve and his teams observed, was that the root cause of most problems stem from the people space, or more specific, the leadership space. The challenges in this human dynamic space are at the root of the technical or systems problems. (That is because people create and operate the technical and systems spaces).

It’s a matter of getting the basics right

When looking at the leadership realm, the most revealing indicator is interesting. Despite the best intentions and efforts of the those in leadership functions, they fail those they are leading, and themselves, due to a lack of understanding the fundamentals – the basics – of what shapes and drives the human dynamic that is people.

People (the human dynamic) is the ‘engine room’ , and because this is not managed to operate at peak-performance levels, it becomes the element that fails within the equation required to achieve successful end-game results.

A low percentage of leaders are equipped

Despite the technical skills of many in management roles, it has been found that few are natural leaders. However, the most unsettling observation is that a disturbingly low percentage in leadership roles are equipped with the skills required to understand and lead the human dynamic.

Some interesting survey facts

Surveys reveal that the majority of respondents feel overwhelmed by their new roles, and that the volume of leadership theories and models fail to provide them with a solid set of basics or fundamentals from which to operate.

This is what is needed

What those in leadership roles need most in their pressured role, is something that cuts through the noise and complexity. Something that they can rapidly grasp and use. Some form of blueprint, roadmap, or playbook.

Over time, the combination of observations, common patterns, and surveyed needs resulted in what ultimately gave rise to a question that formed the development of the Leadership Psychodynamic Model. And, this is the question;

Cutting through the clutter

The model is firstly an exercise in cutting through the clutter of the prevailing mainstream theories and models. These can be complex, confusing, and overwhelming for those already under the immense pressure of being in a management or leadership role.

A blueprint grounded in the fundamental principles

Secondly, it is a blueprint grounded in the fundamental principles that shape and move the human dynamic. It is a factor which aligns the forces that exist within the interconnected realms of the end-game, the human dynamic, and the mechanics realms.

It’s a playbook

It’s a model that gives rise to a playbook underpinned by the components of the blueprint. A playbook serves the leader and followers to set the leadership arena up for the best chance of success out the blocks, runs diagnostics on the health of the interconnected realms, and enables troubleshooting from the right context or root cause.

The golden thread

There is a golden thread that runs through every aspect of the human dynamic. This thread drives how we see things, how we feel, and how we behave.

The expectation factor

The golden thread is expectations. It is the expectations that are in play in our individual lives, but also at work within the collective mix of groups, teams, communities, corporations, and even whole nations.

When you realise that there are powerful elements contained within expectations. That it’s not just a word or expression, but that each expectation contains four of the most powerful dimensions in our lives, and they are interconnected – then you will begin to understand why the human dynamic leaders are responsible for is so complex and volatile.

Managing expectations

The philosophy of the model is how this golden thread of expectations is at the centre of what drives the perceptions, purpose, emotions, and behaviours of the human dynamic within the leadership mix. And it is within the understanding of the expectation realm that a leader comes to know what is in play, how it is in play, and how to manage the right levers to produce the desired human dynamic results.

That’s just the way we are wired.

Expectations are a belief centred on the future that may or may not be realistic. Every expectation is either positive or negative – there is no middle ground.

Expectations contain four power dimensions
1) Our perceptions (our worldview or how we see things),
2) purpose (the value or meaning of anything),
3) our emotions (and longer-term frame-of-mind),
4) and our behaviours (how we act, react, or do nothing).

Contained within this power continuum, expectations have the power to make people gravitate toward something, move away from it, flat out reject it, or violently oppose it.

Expectations are the most powerful force in the human dynamic realm, and something that must be consciously and intentionally managed if you want to influence the individuals and the collective group you are leading.

And this is the challenge every leader has to face. It is to understand this powerful realm of expectations, what its interconnected components are, how they interact, how they influence the dynamics, and then how you can use this to lead your arena.

WHAT THE LEADER EXPECTS

What everyone who leads a group of people wants, or expects, is for all involved to buy into, subscribe and throw their full focus, commitment, and effort behind achieving the mission you are commissioned with.

You also want (and expect) this to happen without conflict, friction, disengagement, or dissent. Your expectation is that you want it all to come together seamlessly.

WHAT THOSE BEING LED EXPECT

Those involved in the group also have expectations, but these are rarely aligned to what the leader wants. This is where the biggest challenge for a leader exists, and where the challenge starts for anyone following a leader. At the heart of it all is the biggest expectation we all have – trust.

EXPECTATIONS VERSUS REALITY

It is rare that expectations align. Each person has their own set of expectations and most of the time they are not in alignment with a group. Most expectations are in a tolerant state that borders on conflict.

We are all wired as expectant creatures. We are a collection of what we want to happen in our universe, and what we do not want to happen. We will always put ourselves, and what we expect, first. It takes a lot to shift us to another state where we align with other expectations instead of our own.

We are a walking, talking embodiment that is constantly asking the question, “what’s in it for me?”, and when the answers around us fail to resonate, we move on until we find something that does.

Alignment

When you get the human dynamics realm to function at peak and optimal performance levels, it becomes the central aligning force in the equation. After all, it is the human dynamic that envisions, has ideas, strategizes, plans, performs the required functions and work, and achieves the end-game outcomes.

Symbiosis

When the four interconnected dimensions of this human dynamic realm align, it drives all the factors involved to achieve the expected end-game outcomes. However, when activities within this realm are compromised, its key elements will not align and this weakens the aligning forces, which then become a sabotaging force within the mix.

The alignment of all the expectations in play takes place along an alignment path focused on an end-game.

This is how we see it …

The leadership equation consists of 3 primary elements:

The dominant element in the leadership equation, (but also the most complex, volatile, least understood), is the human dynamic realm — people.

The success of any endeavour is primarily contained in understanding the human dynamic realm of people (psychodynamics), and how to maximise its performance.

Surveys reveal that the greatest challenges and stress leaders are facing, is within the human dynamic realm. It is not surprising that this is the realm many in leadership roles are unequipped in.

Most who step up to the leadership role are not natural leaders. There are those who may have a reasonable amount of people skills. But the greatest number find themselves outside of their natural zones and therefore fumbling around in the dark when it comes to making sense of managing the confusing realm of people.

The most critical part of the leadership success equation (people) is therefore compromised, and with it the results of an end-game are compromised.

For any end-game to succeed, to produce what is expected, will depend on the quality of the leadership at the helm.

(See related article on Why quality leadership is the key to producing strong results)

Almost everyone who finds themselves in a leader role is proficient in their specialty technical or vocational role. However, when they transition into a leadership role, few are equipped in the fundamental principles of the leadership craft. This is a craft that requires its own set of specialist skills.

In a desperate attempt to make sense of it all and as a matter of self-preservation, unequipped leaders find themselves reaching for anything that looks like it can help them. Sadly, in most cases, the approach they take violates many of the principles that are needed for them and their team to succeed.

Everything in our lives automatically has an expectation attached to it. That’s the way we are wired.

Expectations are what we want to happen (WYWTH), or what you don’t want to happen (WYDWTH). These two factor drive our self-preservation mode to seek out gain, and avoid loss or harm.

But, expectations also consist of four power dimensions that influence, shape, and drive every aspect of our human dynamic: Perceptions, Emotions, Purpose, and Behaviours.

Expectations have the power to make people gravitate toward something, move away from it, flat out reject it, or even rebel against it. They are a powerful force, and therefore something that has to be intentionally managed.

And this is the challenge every leader has to face – how to manage this realm of expectations.

(Extracts from the Leadership Psychodynamics and Project Leadership programs)

Power of Expectations: Video 2 (The EXP Continuum)

Power of Expectations: Video 3

Case scenario

Anything worth moving towards and following a leader is linked to an end game.

In every scenario that involves people, there is a mix of expectations in play that are either neutral or positively or negatively charged.

Leadership is the skill and ability to align the collective expectations in play within the arena you are responsible for.

This alignment involves the shift of everything involved from the current state to the desired end-game outcome. It also involves the continuous alignment of expectations as the journey along the path progresses.

But how do you align expectations? There are 4 key domains that are the building blocks or establishing and maintaining alignment along this path to the end game destination.

Your function as a leader of the human dynamic in the mix is to manage this eclectic, complex, and volatile collection of expectations across these 4 key domains.

All vocational areas and skills have a set of basic building blocks or rules that they follow in order to be successful. When it comes to leadership, this principle is equally valid.

At the core of any leader’s ability to align expectations is the cluster of 4 building blocks that are always in the mix

There is a symbiotic relationship between the realm of the human soul, mind or spirit [psyche]; the realm where logic provides the structure and order we need to justify things; where we subscribe to the values and ethics we choose to live by; and the realm where we fit into a group, a team or tribe who think, work and move psychologically, logically and culturally together.

These four realms are inter-connected. Each has a push and pull power over the others. The art of leadership is to understand these four realms and shift them to a balance point.

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We all align with something compelling or that is an attractor.

An end-game is itself an expectation, and therefore it is filled with perceptions of what it is.

It has a purpose, a meaning, or a value attached to it that attracts.

It plays on the emotions that come from an attractive perception and has a positive value attributed to it.

Ultimately, our behaviours are influenced by how we see the end-game, the value we attribute to it, and this is reinforced by how we feel about it emotionally.

The end-game is what you as a leader are aligning everyone in your arena on. It is what you are all moving towards and constantly evaluating the journey and end-game against you current “what’s in it for me?” question..

The Expectation Continuum is the combination of the four Domains, the Alignment Path, and the End-Game.
Leading the human dynamic (the Tribe) is the ability to manage this Expectation Continuum.

Leading spans multiple phases in any scenario, and these phases range from the concept, idea, or vision that originates in one person’s mind, and then spreads to everyone else who becomes part of strategizing, planning, then doing.

Along every step of the Continuum, the effective leader is the one who can align the different, disparate, or conflicting expectations in the mix. Focus the collective tribe on the End-Game, monitor the health status of the collective tribe and arena, and adjust any imbalances or non-alignment events within this continuum when they occur.

Unless it is a fully automated environment devoid of any human involvement, then the critical success factor in the leadership equation is always going to be the human dynamic, and the ability of the leader to manage the components of the Expectation Continuum that are at the core for tapping into the human dynamic and extracting peak performance.