New Water Policy and Practice Volume 1, Number 2 - Spring 2015 | Page 23

New Water Policy and Practice

4 - Implications
4.1. Practical implications for individual water leaders

W

ater leaders who are seeking to build their leadership capacity could use the
role descriptions in this paper in the following five ways.

1. They could reflect on this information to determine which roles are likely to suit
their personality, values, strengths and weaknesses, and career aspirations. It is
in these roles that they are more likely to excel. This is part of the process of selfleadership (see Drucker 2005; George et al. 2007).
2. They could use the descriptions of roles they currently play or aspire to play as an
‘assessment tool’ to identify specific leadership competencies they are likely to need
and could benefit from strengthening. For example, a leader aspiring to succeed in
the enabling leadership role may choose to develop their systems thinking ability.
This process could involve a self-assessment and/or feedback from colleagues.
3. They could use the role descriptions as a tool to consciously modify their leadership
style in different situations. The importance of this leadership competency has been
highlighted by leadership researchers. For example, Goleman (2000) explored the
relationship between leadership effectiveness and the ability to switch leadership
style to best match the local context. He concluded that “the research indicates
that leaders with the best results do not rely on only one leadership style; they use
most of them in a given week - seamlessly and in different measure - depending on
the business situation” (Goleman 2000, p. 78). So, a developing water leader may
recognise the need to engage in the champion role to convert a good idea into a
new project, and then switch to the team leader role once the project is running.
The role descriptions in this paper provide guidance on key leadership behaviours
and strategies typically used by leaders occupying such roles. Whilst emphasising
the importance of being able to change leadership styles for different roles, we
also note that it is likely that a particular water leader will be best suited to a small
number of roles and will have the potential to excel in only some roles.
4. They could choose to work with others to play a particular leadership role, rather
than undertake the role themselves, and use the role description to communicate
the nature of the leadership role that is required. For example, they may recruit an
enthusiastic, entrepreneurial employee to play the champion role to initiate a new
project. This approach could also be taken by organisations in the water sector that
seeks to identify and develop future leaders.
5. They could use the role descriptions as a framework to reflect on, and better
understand significant leadership processes that involve several leaders playing
different roles to exert influence in a coordinated manner, and potentially identify
ways to participate in these processes. To illustrate, consider a water practitioner
(‘champion’) who is seeking to advance integrated river basin management
principles and practices. She works in a non-government organisation with little
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