1.6 Learning Model: Know, Do, Be

In this course you will have the opportunity to improve yourself as a leader. To do this, you need to know what leaders know, do what leaders do, and become a person of internal integrity and capacity to effectively influence others. To become a true leader, you need to become a person of character who is able to make a positive difference. As you know and do what leaders know and do, you will develop and become a better leader yourself from the inside out and begin to take on characteristics that are foundational to your ability to lead. Thus, your chances of truly developing as a leader for the long term are enhanced.

This course is built upon the “Know, Do, Be” model of leadership development. We focus not only on the mind but also on the hands and heart. While we can “know” principles of leadership with our mind, the hands represent our ability to “do” leadership and practice leadership skills. The heart encompasses the internal character and core beliefs that guide action and engender fortitude to overcome obstacles—it is our ability to “be” a leader. Each one of these aspects is explained in more detail below.

Know

Throughout this course, you will have the opportunity to learn the fundamental principles of effective leadership. Learning these core principles will increase your knowledge, and as you know, there is power in gaining knowledge and understanding. This is where many leadership courses start and stop.

Do

Knowledge, in and of itself, is insufficient to develop as an effective leader. To “know” the general principles that help leaders succeed is important, but to be able to “do” what successful leaders do takes practice. This course will not only expose you to key leadership principles, models, and theories but also give you the opportunity to put them into practice. That is, you will have a chance to apply the principles of leadership and test them out. In this way, you are also applying and testing yourself as you develop as a leader. The leadership activities in this course will allow you to practice and develop various central leadership skills, providing a way for you to work out the bugs in a safe learning environment before you try them out in the real world where the stakes are often much higher.

Be

Your core beliefs and values have shaped who you have become. The “be” part of the “Know, Do, Be” learning model is focused on the qualities of a person’s inner character. It describes a person’s inner strengths, traits, and virtues. Bright, Winn, and Kanov write, “In the ancient Greek tradition one could obtain the ‘good life’ (eudaimonia) and contribute to healthy society by focusing on the cultivation of virtuous character. Such character was understood to correspond with right behaviors as the challenges of life were confronted.”1 The purpose of a leader, then, is to contribute to a healthy organization, and the life of a leader is confronted with challenges. Who we are or, importantly, who we become impacts our ability to make a difference and lead during challenging times. In this course we want you to become a leader within the core of who you are. This is different from only knowing about leadership models and doing things because that is what others do. In this course we will provide opportunities for reflection on your core values and beliefs as they pertain to making a positive leadership difference in the world.

In summary, the “Know, Do, Be” model of leadership will help you learn about leaders and leadership theory and then understand and apply these principles to become a more successful leader yourself.