The Connected Leadership Framework®
An evidence-based approach to leadership development. Through CODA’s research projects and 30 years of working collaboratively as leaders both within and outside of organizations, we began to focus on what made some leaders effective and others ineffective. Through several years of interviews and observations, we began to notice a common characteristic among the leaders identified as effective by their peers, supervisors, and staff. These leaders demonstrated a clarity and confidence in their roles as leaders. Their self-descriptions confirmed, time and again, that they did not hesitate or struggle when asked to describe their leadership approach and philosophy, their values, and their intentions. They knew who they were and what they wanted to achieve.
Eventually, we felt compelled to rigorously test our observations. We analyzed years of leader interviews and observations through a grounded theory investigation. Through this analysis, we found specific elements related to self-identity, intention, and competencies that were common across effective leaders. These findings informed a theory of Connected Leadership and the resulting Connected Leadership Framework®. Our theory and model have been reinforced by the growing body of research by scholars interested in examining the link between a leader’s self-identity and performance. Similarly, the specific meta-competencies identified in our framework have also been supported by a strong research base.
