An explanation of the model.

The Leadership Model Canvas© (LMC) is a professional tool for reflecting on leadership.

With The Leadership Model Canvas©, you can map out all the key aspects of leadership and understand how they are interconnected. This helps you identify where to focus your attention (aspects to further develop or change). Using the 8 elements of the model, you assess the current state of leadership, discover strengths and weaknesses and know what needs improvement. All components of The Leadership Model Canvas© form a unified whole. After going through all the model's elements, you gain a comprehensive understanding of yourself. However, you can also choose to focus on a specific element of the model, allowing you to take informed steps. The model forms the basis for a coaching program or for a 1-day leadership training.
Throughout the ages, various definitions of leadership have been described, reflecting how we thought about leadership at different times. There have been studies on the traits that distinguish leaders from the rest. However, there is no universally accepted rule on how to develop leadership. Can you learn leadership? The answer to this question is personal.

My perspective is that certain skills can be learned but certain character traits make this easier or harder. These traits determine whether leading others energizes or depletes you. Therefore, it is crucial to also pay attention to your character traits and learned behaviors. Besides internal factors, there are external environmental factors that influence leadership. The Leadership Model Canvas© is a model that is based on 8 themes that the author believes are crucial for (personal) leadership. Within each theme, further exploration is carried out on aspects within, or strongly related to, the leadership theme by answering questions or mapping the situation.
The dominant perception of leadership, as one person leading others, is deeply ingrained in how we organize organizations, much like a lion leading a pack. However, in the animal kingdom, there are creatures that handle their social dynamics differently. Wasps, for example, live in socially evolved colonies where everyone exerts influence based on their qualities, experiences, and competencies. This concept is gaining more and more traction in various organizations and is also central to The Leadership Collective. In leadership, the right balance needs to be found between direction and self- organization by creating a shared vision and providing the right amount of inspiration. For me, leadership is about getting people into motion and motivating them to achieve a common goal. This goal, or aspiration, can be business-related but does not have to be. Therefore, a good leader is capable of mobilizing and inspiring people.
The 8 themes
- What is the core (vision) of my leadership?
- Which leadership style aligns with the organization?
- How do I ensure that my team is engaged with the vision and goals of the organization?
- How do I inspire and motivate my team?
Because the in-depth questions are already formulated, working with the model leads to meaningful conversations. On this website, the questions of the model are not fully elaborated and depicted but they are, of course, available.

Every person has a number of core qualities that differ from other people. You can see a core quality as someone's natural positive characteristic. This quality, a strength, can also turn into a weakness. Daniel Ofman is the author of the core quadrant, of which core qualities are a part. Core qualities and core quadrants can add value as reflection tools in the daily dynamics of leadership. (Daniel Ofman, 1994)

Core values are beliefs and principles that help guide an individual or an organization. These core values are the heart of the organization, and this is also true for people. Core values are developed through culture, family patterns, life experiences, social conditioning, and events. Your personal core values can change in different phases of your life. When leading and, therefore, using your core values, it is important to become aware of both your conscious and unconscious values, as values significantly influence decision-making. Someone whose primary core value is 'collaboration' will make different decisions than someone who values 'independence' most.

Everyone communicates in a different way. Every person is unique after all. The way we communicate differs and is based on a communication style. A communication style is a ombination of verbal and non-verbal behaviors. Communication style is not about your character or personal core values. How others experience you, may differ from your own experience of your ommunication style. Your preferred communication style is familiar to you and often requires little effort. By analyzing your own style and that of your conversation partner and then being flexible with your preferred style, you can be more effective. (Reece & Brandt, 2005)

The future cannot be created or controlled but it is, however, possible to strengthen some trends and slow down others. Good leaders, skilled entrepreneurs, board members and politicians always look ahead. Recognizing and understanding trends is an investment in the future. When we experience a trend from our own perspective, it is often a different picture than when we follow this trend on a social scale. Short-term and long-term thinking provide important information.



Just like views on leadership, views on relationships also change. As a person, you are part of (social) networks; business and private. A business network consists of social connections and it ensures the sharing of information, knowledge and contacts. Working in a knowledge-based economy, with a workforce containing many highly educated people, has both an effect on the way of working as well as leadership. The relationships in current networks belong to different generations and are in different phases of life. We currently see four generations of collaboration in the workplace. The different generations each require their own approach. It is important to explore these.

Health is not for sale, nor can it be planned. However, a healthy lifestyle can be developed and maintained. A lifestyle in which there is room for de-stressing, varied and healthier eating, exercise, mindfulness, less work and more enjoyment is an important goal today. A balanced lifestyle can mean that, you as a person, pay attention to a healthy diet, regular exercise, managing stress, getting enough sleep and having time to relax. It is important to find a balance that adds value to functioning optimally, physically and mentally.
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Het Leiderschaps Model Canvas
