Using data from thousands of leaders around the world, we explore whether it makes sense to expect our leaders - even the best and brightest - to be effective at both managing relationships and driving for results.

1. Can Leaders be both Caring and
Focused on Achievement?

2. Type a question here.
Click the red arrow to
expand the Control
Panel.
Our Host
Staci Nisbett
Director of Design and Solutions

3. www.mrg.com

4. Our Presenter
Tricia Naddaff
President, MRG

5. Can Leaders be both Caring and
Focused on Achievement?

6. It all started with a question…
What can MRG tell us about Caring-
focused and Goal-focused leaders?

7. A (Very!)Brief History of
Leadership Theory
Leaders are born/selected by the gods
Leaders are all knowing
Leaders are born, not made – “masculine” traits (drive, vigor, agency)
Leaders lead people

8. Our Research Questions
After 70 years of thinking…
What are the differences between Caring-focused and Goal-focused Leaders?
Is it really better to be focused on both?
What percentage of leaders are actually focused on both?
What are the implications of our findings?

9. The Research Sample
60,763 Leaders who completed the LEA360
US, Canada, Australia and UK
Observations from Boss, Peer and Direct Report ratings
LEA360 Part A – 22 Leadership Behaviors
LEA360 Part B – 26 Leadership Competencies

10. Defining Goal- and Caring-Focus
Goal-Focus
Production
Expects a lot, achiever, ambitious, tests limits, demanding, high aspirations, works hard, sets high goals, hard-driving
Control
Does things on time, follows up, reminds people, persistent, tenacious, delivers on promises
Caring-Focus
Empathy
Sympathetic, kind, generous, builds close bonds, genuine interest in others, cares about others’ wellbeing, sensitive to
others
Cooperation
Helpful, accommodating, team oriented, willing to compromise, seeks common ground

11. High Goal-focus; Low Caring-focus
5399 Leaders
Production Control Empathy Cooperation

12. Leadership Competencies of Goal Focused
Leaders
Takes Initiative
Delivers Results
Credibility with management
Fast learner
Financial understanding
Understanding of how to use org. resources
Ability to see the big picture
Capacity for effective thinking
Business Aptitude
Future Potential
Ability to make effective decisions
Ability to get things done through people
Overall effectiveness as a leader
Capacity to get people enthusiastic and involved
Ability to turn around difficult situations

13. High Caring-focus; Low Goal-focus
4755 Leaders
Production Control Empathy Cooperation

14. Leadership Competencies of Caring focused
Leaders
Demonstrates ethical leadership
Ability to work with diverse people
Sensitivity to other people’s feelings
Willingness to listen
Ability to build relationships with customers
Straightforward open communicator
Capacity to contribute to team performance
Insight into people
Effectively manages conflict
Ability to develop people
Credibility with peers and direct reports

15. High Goal- and High Caring-Focused
Top 1/3rd
Production Control Empathy Cooperation

16. Poll
What percentage of leaders do you think are in the top 1/3rd of the population for both Focus on Achievement
and Focus on Caring?
Above 40%
30-40%
15-29%
5-14%
Below 5%

17. 0.77%

18. Questions and Comments
Please type them into the questions box!

19. High Goal- and High Caring-Focused
Top 1/2
Control Empathy CooperationProduction

20. Poll
What percentage of leaders do you think are in the top 1/2 of the population for both Focus on Achievement
and Focus on Caring?
• Above 40%
• 30-40%
• 15-29%
• 5-14%
• Below 5%

21. 5.6%

22. Why should Leaders be both?
Increases overall effectiveness of the leader (highest competency ratings on 18 out of 26 competencies
including Overall Effectiveness, Future Potential and Delivers Results)
Focus on Goals/Results
oHelps establish priorities in a hectic work environment
oGives a shared picture of what success looks like
oIncreases the probability that resources will be aligned
oStretch goals can spur creative thinking
Focus on Caring
oDecreases threat response in employees
oIncreases trust
oIn combination these lead to:
 Decreased stress
 Increased cognitive potential, creativity and problem solving
 Increased information sharing, openness and cooperation

23. Poll
Where do you do more of your coaching?
• Helping leaders who need to be more caring focused
• Helping leaders who need to be more goal/results-focused
• Spending roughly an equal amount of time coaching leaders who need to be more caring-focused and
coaching leaders who need to be more goal/results-focused

24. Why is it difficult for leaders to be both?
Neural See-Saw
Social
By Matthew Lieberman

25. Why is it difficult for leaders to be both?
The Trigger
The Habit
The Reason
The Power of Habit
By Charles Duhigg

26. Questions and Comments
Please type them into the questions box!

28. What helps the leader’s development?
Understanding the Neural See-Saw
Understanding the value of each area of focus
Clarifying one’s own underlying beliefs
Identify Habits (especially habit cues/triggers)
Giving the brain specific instructions (“At the beginning of each one-on-one I’m going
to spend the first 5 minutes asking questions to better understand how each
person is feeling” works better than “I’m going to make more of an effort to
be more caring.”)
Paying particular attention to non-verbals – the brain reads these very quickly and makes judgments
(“what are this person’s intentions toward me?” and “Is s/he capable of
acting on those intentions?”)

29. What additional recommendations would you
like to offer based on your experiences and
observations?
Please type your recommendations
into the questions box!

30. Resources
All MRG Research Studies – for more information/details please contact us
at clientservices@mrg.com
Duhigg, Charles. The Power of Habit – Why we do what we do in Life and
Business. New York: Random House, 2012
Lieberman, Matthew. Social: Why are Brains are Wired to Connect. New
York: Crown Publishing, 2013
https://hbr.org/2013/07/connect-then-lead
https://hbr.org/2013/12/should-leaders-focus-on-results-or-on-people/
https://hbr.org/2014/11/the-hard-data-on-being-a-nice-boss
Rock, David. Your Brain at Work. New York: Harper Collins, 2009

31. Thank you for spending your time with
us!