By Rachael McMahon, Principal Psychologist APS Mental Health and Suicide Prevention Unit, Australian Public Service Commission.
In today’s technology driven world where teams are increasingly hybrid and geographically dispersed, the importance of developing the relational skills of our leaders cannot be understated says Rachael McMahon, Principal Psychologist of the APS Mental Health and Suicide Prevention Unit and co-author of the Unit’s new 6R relational leadership self-reflection tool.
“At its core, relational leadership emphasises the contribution of interpersonal connection, trust and compassion in driving organisational success and psychological safety. It supposes that for organisations to attract, retain and harness the power of high performing individuals and teams their leaders must have the skills to foster and maintain meaningful relationships that inspire, empower and support others"
Rachael McMahon, Principal Psychologist & Director APS Mental Health and Suicide Prevention Unit
Ms McMahon said relational leadership requires leaders to develop a deeper understanding of the science of human connection and develop the ability to navigate highly complex workplace relationships and environments, self-reflect and repair relationships when they fracture.
The 6R relational leadership paradigm draws on insights from psychology, attachment theory, dialectical behaviour therapy, organisational behaviour and leadership theory. 6R introduces a paradigm shift in leadership capability by emphasising the need for leaders to develop a distinct set of interpersonal micro-skills says Rachael.
Importantly, the paradigm and associated tool is agnostic and its principles can be incorporated into any leadership theory or leadership training approach.
Connie Galati, the Unit’s Senior Clinical Psychologist and 6R co-author, noted that to support individual growth and development, each of the described relational dimensions within the tool integrate a series of self-assessment questions. The purpose of these questions is to assist leaders gain a deeper insight into their own strengths, values and areas for further focus.
“These self-assessment process can be used for private personal reflection, in an executive coaching session, peer consultation session and/or performance feedback sessions "
Connie Galati, APS Mental Health and Suicide Prevention Unit Senior Clinical Psychologist and 6R co-author
By incorporating self-assessment, the paradigm moves from a theory to provision of a practical roadmap that empowers and challenges leaders to seek out avenues to develop and grow their relational skills.
A curated series of additional learning resources and tools have been provided for each dimension to support leaders to take immediate action on their relational capability learning journey.
6R complements the suite of relational products already released by the Unit including the award winning Compassionate Foundations and Connections programs.
APS staff can access the tool at no charge via APSLearn.