Encyclopedia of Leadership

13.10

THE FOUR STAGES



MODEL:

UNDERSTANDING CAREER STRATEGIES

Inspired by Gene Dalton and Paul Thompson.

The Four Stagesmodel is a powerful tool for guiding career planning, particularly improving

one’s leadership potential. To be a true leader, one must be at Stage 3 or above, according to

this model. You can’t reach these stages without first succeeding at the earlier stages (appren-

tice and professional expert). So, how do you know if a person is performing at Stage 3 or high-

er? One good indicator is that at Stage 3, an individual stops competing as a functional expert,

and instead gets results by encouraging excellence in others.

THEFOURSTAGES



CAREER MODEL

SECTION 13 TOOLS FORLEADINGPERFORMANCE 421

❑ Works dependently.

❑ Works under

supervision.

❑ Lacks experience.

❑ Learns the business.

❑ Helps, follows.

❑ Works on part of a

larger project.

❑ Accepts coaching

and supervision.

❑ Completes directed

activity, routine

and detailed work.

❑ Accomplishes tasks

on time.

❑ Inability to accept

feedback

❑ Expecting others to

structure work

❑ Not accepting

responsibility for

professional work

❑ Works

independently.

❑ Develops depth in

own area.

❑ Is assigned own

projects and clients.

❑ Relies more on self

and peers, and less

on supervisor, for

answers.

❑ Develops credibility

and reputation.

❑ Responsible for

significant results.

❑ Develops own

resources.

❑ Develops judgment,

confidence, and

intuition.

❑ Lack of professional

competence

❑ Lack of confidence,

initiative, or focus

❑ Lack of

commitment to the

work or the

organization

❑ Works

interdependently.

❑ Understands the

business.

❑ Gets results through

others.

❑ Coaches, mentors,

develops others.

❑ Works in several

areas at once.

❑ Deals with a range

of stakeholders.

❑ Leads groups.

❑ Offers ideas,

someone else

implements them.

❑ Has breadth of

technical and

process skills.

❑ Unwillingness to

assume

responsibility for

others

❑ Lacking people and

leadership skills

❑ Unwillingness to let

go of details

❑ Works systemwide.

❑ Integrates others’

work with business.

❑ Leads through

vision and strategy.

❑ Influences

organizational

direction.

❑ Assures excellence.

❑ Exercises power by

policy formation,

new directions and

roles.

❑ Has mental

toughness, makes

tough decisions.

❑ Represents the

organization.

❑ Assesses trends in

the environment.

❑ Sponsors key

people.

❑ Inability to provide

long-term

organizational

direction

❑ Inability to identify

and sponsor the

best people

Stage 1 Stage 2 Stage 3 Stage 4

Apprentice Professional Group/team Organizational

professional expert leader leader

Characteristics

of each career

stage

Barriers at

each stage that

can prevent

movement to

the next stage