Today, modern corporate organizations face compound pressures driven by competition, talent finding and retention, globalization, financial expectations, technology innovation, energy trends, diverse workforces, environmental sustainability, corporate responsibility, the proliferation of the Internet, etc. The bottom line is that maintaining the status-quo or doing marginally better is not a formula for success. Change management and adaptation is ever more necessary to be able to set direction, to identify priorities, to manage complexity, and to deliver exceptional results.
John Kotter, Konosuke Matshushita Professor of Leadership at Harvard maintains that "Most US corporations are over managed and under led." In essence, today's managerial jobs require management and leadership skills with varying degrees of focus. The higher we go on the corporate ladder, the greater the demand for leadership ability. Thus, the increasingly fast changing environment we face requires more leadership from more people. To cope with these forces good mastery of leadership and management skills is essential in order to marshal and manage any organization effectively. Hence, the great need to institutionalize leadership development. "Institutionalizing a leadership centered culture--where the business rewards people who successfully develop leaders--is the ultimate act of leadership." (Kotter 51-65, 1999).
Leadership Differs from Management
Webster's Third New International Dictionary defines leader as "a person who by force of example or qualities of leadership plays a directing role, wields commanding influence, or has a following in any sphere of activity." The strength of leadership comes from the enrolment of minds to a common cause or vision, and the release of intrinsic motivation to achieve extraordinary results. This means that anyone in an organization can be a leader, whether or not that individual is formally identified as such. Indeed, informal leaders are extremely important to the effectiveness of most organizations.
Allen Scherr and Michael Jensen (2-4) offered in their recent Barbados Group Working Paper that "a leader is an ordinary human being with both a commitment to deliver a result--whose realization would be remarkable and visionary given the current circumstances--and the integrity to execute on this commitment to accomplish the desired results." One key idea of this definition is that "integrity" in the sense of leadership includes honoring your word--and that means either keeping your word or acknowledging that one will not be keeping it, and cleaning up any mess that causes for those who were counting on that word being kept." (Erhard et al. 36).
Kotter defines management as being about coping with complexity, planning and budgeting, organizing and staffing, controlling and problem solving. To this end, he asserted that management involves setting targets and goals, establishing detailed plans for reaching goals, allocating resources, establishing organizational structure, delegating authority and responsibility, monitoring results vs. plan, identifying deviations from plan, and planning and organizing solutions (51-65, 1999). Consequently, what great managers have in common is an appreciation of their strengths as well as an understanding of their limitations. Being aware that performance hinges on how well they figure out the pressures and priorities of their particular job, they find a course that works for them. According to Sternberg "finding this individual path to success is the hallmark of managerial intelligence." (314-315).
Management is fundamentally about minimizing risk and maximizing adherence to plan and predictability. In comparison, leadership copes with the unknown, the dreams, and the vision that generates breakthrough performance. Accordingly, what one person views as possible may be a pipe dream to another. The subject of leadership is one where the results to be produced are accompanied by greater risk and uncertainty than what is normally considered to be acceptable in the realm of management. A scholarly gem of the Renaissance was Machiavelli's The Prince (1513/1962). Machiavelli's thesis is as good today as it was in 1513. It declared that "there is nothing more difficult to take in hand, more perilous to conduct, or more uncertain in its success, than to take the lead in the introduction of a new order of things."
Obviously, both leadership and management are vital for a well-functioning organization. It is critical to emphasize and understand Kotter's incisive conclusion about the tensions between leadership and management: ". . . even more fundamentally, leadership and management differ in terms of their primary function. The first can produce useful change, the second can create orderly results which keep something working efficiently. This does not mean that management is never associated with change; in tandem with effective leadership, it can help produce a more orderly change process. Nor does this mean that leadership is never associated with order; to the contrary, in tandem with effective management, an effective leadership process can help produce the changes necessary to bring a chaotic situation under control." (Kotter 7, 1990). This conflict can be useful; however, it is not a trivial exercise. Proper balance is essential for both short-term and long-term success of any business.
Leadership is about being comfortable with change, and understanding that the status quo works against progress in most cases. Every quarter and every month, there is change--things are in constant motion. While others may not be aware of this, leaders assume it. In knowing that change is inevitable, the true leader seeks positive change for a purpose and for the better. Kotter defines leadership as consisting of the following three elements: 1) establishing direction, 2) aligning people, and 3) motivating and inspiring them. This is a great definition but the paper of Allan Scherr and Michael Jensen, adds further insight into the domain of leadership by agreeing with Kotter's work but adding two more elements: "Communicating breakdowns, and managing breakdowns." (Scherr, Jensen 4).
Legendary leader, Jack Welch remarked in a WSJ editorial (2004) that after 30 years of leading he knows what leaders look like and act like. His process assesses four essential traits (each one starting with an E, a nice coincidence): 1) great positive Energy, 2) ability to Energize others, 3) Edge or the courage to make tough yes-or-no decisions, and 4) Execution follow through to get the job done. He concluded his assessment with an observation about integrity and general intelligence as necessary attributes to complete the profile of a strong leader type.
As we gather, there is no shortage of leadership definitions. The many dimensions into which leadership has been cast can make the subject ambiguous. Nevertheless, there is adequate similarity among definitions to find common ground. Leadership has been conceived as the exercise of influence, as a function of personality, as a mode of persuasion, as particular behaviors, as a means to achieve future visions, as an approach to induce commitment, as a creative mind set, as an achievement instrument, and as a mixture of such conceptions.
Situational Theories of Leadership
The inability of researchers to recognize conclusively all the dimensions of leadership resulted in the development of four popular situational theories of leadership. These theories propose that the most effective leadership style depends upon situational variables, especially the characteristics of the group and the nature of the task.
Hersey and Blanchard developed a "Situational Leadership" model that harmonized different combinations of task behavior and relationship behavior with the maturity of the followers. Depending on the readiness of the subordinates, the appropriate leadership style is first telling; then selling; then participating; and finally, for highly mature followers, delegating (Vecchio 334-350).
The most extensively researched situational leadership theory is Fred Fiedler's "Contingency Theory" of leadership. Fiedler used the LPC scale to measure the leader's orientation toward either the task or the person. The most appropriate leadership style was then determined by assessing three situational variables: whether the relationships between the leader and the members were good or poor, whether the task was structured or unstructured, and whether the power position of the leader was strong or weak. When these three situational variables created an extremely favorable or extremely unfavorable situation, the most effective leadership style was a task-oriented (low LPC) leader. However, a leader with a high concern for interpersonal relationships (high LPC) was more effective in situations where there were intermediate levels of favorableness (Ayman et al. 351-377).
The "Path Goal" model is another situational leadership theory. This theory is derived from expectancy theory and suggests that effective leaders must clarify the goal paths and increase the goal attractiveness for followers. Four distinct leadership styles are proposed in the model: directive, supportive achievement-oriented and participative leadership styles. The most appropriate style depends upon two types of situational factors: the characteristics of the follower and the characteristics of the environment. Three of the most important follower characteristics include the locus of control, authoritarianism, and personal abilities. The three environmental factors include the nature of the task, the formal authority system within the organization, and the group norms and dynamics (House et al. 259-273).
Vroom and Yetton's "Normative Decision-Making" model is also a situational leadership theory since it identifies the appropriate styles leaders should use in making decisions. The three leadership styles include autocratic decision making, consultative decision making, and group decision making. The decision titles determining which style is most appropriate include such questions as whether the leader has adequate information to make the decision alone, whether the subordinates will accept the goals of the organization, whether subordinates will accept the decision if they do not participate in making it, and whether the decision will produce a controversial solution (Vroom 278).
Although most of the literature on leadership emphasizes the influence of the leader on the group, the influence of the group upon the leader should not be overlooked. The relationship between the leader and the group implies a reciprocal influence. Groups have the capacity to influence the behavior of their leaders by responding selectively to specific leader behaviors. The influence of a leader can also be constrained by several external factors, such as organizational policies, group norms, and individual skills and abilities. Other variables have been found to neutralize or substitute for the influence of a leader, such as the skills and abilities of followers and the nature of the task itself.
Managing Breakdowns for Breakthrough Performance
It is difficult to predict with certainty that the attainment of future visions will occur without the occurrence of some setbacks. Breakdowns are situations where the team realizes that the current plan won't work. Contrary to the general belief of people, breakdowns can be turned into the driving force behind breakthroughs. This concept is well captured with the saying: "necessity is the mother of invention". Breakdowns are opportunities for a truly committed team to find alternate solutions; this only happens by identifying the problem and working on it as a team. Expanding on the breakdown notion, there are two essential elements to every breakdown: 1) the commitment and 2) the recognition and acknowledgment that, given the current course and speed, the commitment will not be realized.
First, if there is no commitment there will never be a breakdown; because in the absence of any commitment, whatever happens is acceptable. So, when there is no buy-in and commitment is unclear or vague, the existence of a breakdown will lack urgency, and may not even be visible to some or all of the people involved. Second, to the degree that one can accurately predict the outcome of the present course, breakdowns will be identified earlier, and thereby increase the likelihood that the issues will be resolved. On the other hand, to the extent we cannot see that the forecast of the present approach is failure, no breakdown will be noticed or, if it is, it will likely be too late to overcome the obstacles (Scherr, Allen 13-14).
The act of managing and communicating the existence of breakdowns helps to expedite the timely finding of new solutions and breakthroughs. If everyone is committed to the same overall vision, then a breakdown in another area that will prevent the overall vision from being realized is a breakdown for all. When a committed and motivated team faces a breakdown, they re-create their commitment instead of giving up. Renewing the commitment shifts people's point-of-view and often allows them to see opportunities and solutions that were not previously visible.
The quality movement offers methodologies (e.g., Lean Six Sigma, ISO 9001, TQM, CMMI, ACE, etc.) to help with the identification of some type of breakdowns by checking what is not broken and finding ways to drive continual improvement. Bringing in a fresh perspective to observe what is "business-as-usual" can help to spot breakdowns, which may have been invisible otherwise.
Expectations + Commitment is the Dialect of Successful Leadership
Expectations and commitment play a central role in the effectiveness of leadership. It is known that leaders who expect more typically get more (e.g., Likert, 1961, 1967; McGregor 1960). By inviting each relevant individual to make a personal commitment to the realization of the vision, a leader is in practice working towards a self-fulfilling prophesy. The main implication of creating the Pygmalion effect by expecting committed players to excel is to drive high performance.
Eden (184) points out that "a leader who wants to be a more positive Pygmalion should point out to the subordinates that they have much untapped potential, and in general get them to believe that they can achieve more." Business schools teach many variation of this theme to develop leadership skills, i.e., Expectation and Self-efficacy Training, Immunizing against the Golem Effect, Avoiding Negative Stereotypes, Clearing the Record, Setting Challenging Goals and Objectives, etc.
Culture of an organization is closely involved in the realization of expectations and self-fulfilling prophecies. Schein (189-190) has researched how culture impacts the effectiveness of an organization. In his own words, "productivity is a cultural phenomenon par excellence, both at the small-work-group level and at the level of the total organization." To this end, myth making is a promising way of molding organizational culture. Managing myths is a worthy cause for those influencing the culture "...the unique and essential function of leadership is the manipulation of culture." (Schein 317).
Think about the encouraging self-fulfilling prophecy aroused by the wide spread belief that "Nothing is impossible" or that "Will is the measure of power" compared to the Golem effect that comes from myths such as "Our products lack quality" or that "We operate on Murphy's law and the Peter Principle". Therefore, symbolic expressions of a high achievement culture are important in the enhancement of expectations.
Business as usual is often the enemy of breakthrough performance and effective leadership. When things are very bad, the need for change is pushed in our faces. When a situation is unbearable, it seems that taking action is the right thing to do, and most are willing to work hard at it. However, when things are good, well hey, everything is fine. The problem with business as usual is that it leads to complacency and mediocrity, and over time such lack of leadership can be costly and detrimental to the organization. Napoleon offered his opinion about the importance of leadership in his famous quip that he would rather have an army of rabbits led by a lion than an army of lions led by a rabbit. Much like in professional sports the need for performance in today's competitive environment dictates the notion of "doing it now or it is not for long".
Leadership Styles and Training
What makes a good leader?
Leadership development
Ever since we started Impact Factory, lo these many years ago, we have struggled with the whole notion of leadership development or leadership training. Indeed, we have resisted writing about it in much detail because the subject is so subjective.
Are leaders born or made? Can you use management leadership training to give leadership skills to someone who isn't leadership material? How is it done?
Given that we're being asked to create a lot more leadership programmes of late, we decided we'd take a hard look at just what makes a good leader.
Even of you don't think of yourself as a leader, you will have areas in your life where other people look to you for leadership. So here are some essentials qualities and skills you need to be a good leader in whatever leadership arena you're in.
Leadership training
Training is a misnomer when applied to leadership. Any leadership development programme has to include at least a passing reference to the following:
# Introduction to the concept of leadership behaviours
# Discussion and debate about leadership
# A widening of the definition beyond traditional leadership stereotypes
# Personal understanding of individual leadership qualities and strengths
# The difference between leadership and management
# A look at how people perceive, their perception is their reality
# Assumptions and their effect on how people see the world
# What are your terms of reference and seeing the bigger picture
# Personal patterns and beliefs
# A look at the elements that have influenced and shaped the participants
# Establishing ownership of individual's leadership behaviours
A programme needs to be designed around the development of the individuals involved rather than towards competencies identified as required by the organisation.
Leadership style
What does a leader look like?
No cookie cutter models here. Everyone can develop their capacity to lead, from church committees to local pressure groups to business teams to political parties. When someone is committed to, and practises using their leadership capabilities at all levels in their life, then they can and will develop their own potential as a leader.
There is a tendency, in our Western culture, to see Leadership as synonymous with white, middle class, male, in charge. There's a kind of unspoken template of what leadership is supposed to look like. Now we know that isn't true. Leadership can and does come in many different shapes and forms.
Good leaders don't conform to a template. Indeed, leaders are people who don't usually follow the party line. They have an edge to them, they get up people's noses sometimes, they make decisions - lots of them - that often others don't like. They say the things that need saying in a way that others understand.
Don't let the picture get in the way
However, it is important to acknowledge that people developing their leadership skills are often hampered by their picture (or other people's picture) of what a leader is supposed to 'look' like.
This is when it's important to understand that the role of leader is not only completely individual (remember, they don't fit a mould!) but also has to be worked at with belief and will and determination by the person occupying it.
It's different for everyone
Not only that, leaders will be experienced differently by the individual people they lead. One getting encouragement, another understanding. That, of course, will be due to the leader's ability to see what each person needs (more on this later).
In addition, not every leader is going to be a great leader in the sense that the world around them acknowledges their leader status. Many leaders get no 'public' recognition, only their personal satisfaction of a job well done.
Leadership theory
Seeing the Big Picture Vision
When the 'vision' word is used it usually means that someone has an idea of what the future could look like and a plan to get there. No point painting rosy, pie in the sky pictures ('we'll double our turnover in a year; we'll create international markets; we'll be number one in the UK', etc.) if pie in the sky is all they are.
More like, 'we could double our turnover in a year, this is how we could get there, this is what I expect from everyone in the organisation to help us get there and any new ideas are welcome.'
The ability to see
There is one essential quality for anyone in any position of leadership: the ability to see what is going on. Seeing is clarity. Seeing in the 'wood for the trees' kind of way.
We've heard the following phrase from a number of people throughout the years and it's a good one - get your attention off yourself and on to whatever is going on.
What you'll see
Here's what you'll be able to see if you do that: you'll be able to see things from other people's points of view; you'll be able to understand what's going on for them. You'll be able to see what other people are capable of and how to help them achieve it. Most importantly, you'll be able to see the whole picture not just your little bit of it.
Leadership skills
What makes you tick?
Know thyself. To be able to see you need a clear understanding of what has made you the way you are and what has shaped and influenced your life. The clearer you are about what motivates and affects your behaviour, the clearer you will be able to see what is going on with other people.
You didn't spring fully formed from Zeus's head - many things have affected you over the years. A good leader is proud to acknowledge role models, people, places, things, etc, which have inspired them.
You can't do it alone
Any good leader worth their salt should be able to name 100 people, places, things, right off the bat. Why? Because they know themselves well enough to acknowledge who has supported and inspired them along the way, and what support they still need to get things done.
Leadership quality
Qualities
Think about what qualities your role models have that are attractive to you, that make them inspiring. Now, putting aside modesty, false or otherwise, think about what qualities they have that you also have. You have to know who you are and accept that you have outstanding qualities - leaders are able to do that.
Beliefs, rules and patterns
How well do you understand the rules, beliefs and patterns you have created in your life so far? Everyone's got 'em.
They can be the simple kind of rule - you should brush your teeth twice a day. They can be the more complex kind - you should treat everyone the way you expect to be treated. Beliefs can be things like - I believe everyone should be fair. And patterns can be as simple as going to and from work the same way every day.
When identifying your rules, patterns and beliefs see if you can avoid putting a value judgement on whether they are good or bad; this is far more about seeing just how well you understand your own behaviour.
Leadership management
Moving things forward Innovative thinking
Leadership requires innovative thinking; it requires people making positive and inspiring impacts; and it requires them to be able to motivate others. What is needed is an ability to think and act 'out of the box'; out of the accepted or 'right' ways of doing things.
The culture of tomorrow will be one where change and innovation are the order of the day. Out of the box thinking and identifying future needs go hand in hand.
There's no such thing as 'can't do'
'Can't do' is an alien concept to a real leader. Leaders get things done. They have commitment, persistence, determination and resilience. Couple all of that with creative problem-solving and you have a person things happen around.
What we mean, is that no matter what their personality, there will be a kind of buzz around them; things change when they're around; indeed, things might even get shaken up when they're around. It isn't always comfortable being around leaders.
You can't stay stuck
Along with a 'can do' attitude, is an ability to move things forward. When others get bogged down, good leaders know how to motivate and inspire the people around them. They are willing to take risks and stand up for what they believe. They want to get things done and bring people along with them.
Development training
Can training develop leadership skills?
In our view, you cannot 'send' someone on a leadership programme who doesn't want to be there and expect them to become a leader. It's not like the reluctant presenter who gets sent along to a course and finds out that it's not so bad after all. If your prospective leader isn't fully engaged in the process, sending them along to be 'taught' leadership skills will be a waste of time and money.
If you fall into that category, then no amount of leadership training is going to develop your skills.
However, if you have to step into a new leadership role, or there are greater expectations of how you manage people, or you've become a project leader, and you have a willingness to develop and take on new skills, then it's really possible to give yourself a leadership boost. Everyone can develop their capacity to lead, from church committees to local pressure groups to business teams to political parties. When you are committed to, and practise using your leadership capabilities at all levels in your life, then you can and will develop your own potential as a leader.
Management training
We believe there is a real difference between management and leadership. You don't need to be a leader to be able to manage other people. However, to be an outstanding manager, you do have to have some of those essential skills and qualities that are necessary in developing as a leader.
Even if you are a manager with no major aspirations of leadership, there will be people who will turn to you for leadership, whether you like it or not. Therefore, when looking for training to develop your skills, it might be a very good idea to look at leadership courses as well as management courses.
Leadership courses
There are scores of courses available calling themselves Leadership Training, Leadership Development, Leadership Skills, etc. We cannot judge just how good they are, but if you think about everything you've read so far and feel in synch with our sentiments, then that's what you need to look for: courses that incorporate a clear approach to developing leadership skills.
Earlier in this document we outlined some of the things to look for in a Leadership Training Programme. Add to that list a few more essentials:
# How to initiate leadership behaviours
# Understanding how commitment works
# Leading by example
# Influencing skills
# Empowering and motivating others
# Thinking on your feet
# Handling yours and others' stress
In our view, really good leadership courses need to incorporate all of these elements to be truly effective. Equally important, a programme needs to be relevant to your specific leadership needs and not something off the peg.
This is why Impact Factory only delivers tailored leadership training; so that each and every course fits the organisation to a 'T'.
In conclusion:
Expect the unusual, the quirky, the non-conformist, the doer, the inspirer and you've got yourself a leader. To become one or to develop your leadership skills you have to be fully engaged in the process of development and just like everyone else, you have to practise, practise, practise.
Key Learning Points:
# The power of aligning personal motivation and business objectives
# The capacity of strong well expressed beliefs to motivate others
# Communication is far more than just words
# Leadership is not just about getting people to do what you ask
# It is far more about seeing what is needed and carrying people forward with your vision
# Being able to create the impact you want
# Expanding your spheres of influence
# Being able to talk to people in terms they understand
# Using appropriate language
# The relevance, development and use of personal style
# Putting across concepts and ideas with ease and flair
# The value of creative risk-taking and "out of the box" thinking
# Making sure projects move forward without having to do all the work yourself.
Leadership development
Ever since we started Impact Factory, lo these many years ago, we have struggled with the whole notion of leadership development or leadership training. Indeed, we have resisted writing about it in much detail because the subject is so subjective.
Are leaders born or made? Can you use management leadership training to give leadership skills to someone who isn't leadership material? How is it done?
Given that we're being asked to create a lot more leadership programmes of late, we decided we'd take a hard look at just what makes a good leader.
Even of you don't think of yourself as a leader, you will have areas in your life where other people look to you for leadership. So here are some essentials qualities and skills you need to be a good leader in whatever leadership arena you're in.
Leadership training
Training is a misnomer when applied to leadership. Any leadership development programme has to include at least a passing reference to the following:
# Introduction to the concept of leadership behaviours
# Discussion and debate about leadership
# A widening of the definition beyond traditional leadership stereotypes
# Personal understanding of individual leadership qualities and strengths
# The difference between leadership and management
# A look at how people perceive, their perception is their reality
# Assumptions and their effect on how people see the world
# What are your terms of reference and seeing the bigger picture
# Personal patterns and beliefs
# A look at the elements that have influenced and shaped the participants
# Establishing ownership of individual's leadership behaviours
A programme needs to be designed around the development of the individuals involved rather than towards competencies identified as required by the organisation.
Leadership style
What does a leader look like?
No cookie cutter models here. Everyone can develop their capacity to lead, from church committees to local pressure groups to business teams to political parties. When someone is committed to, and practises using their leadership capabilities at all levels in their life, then they can and will develop their own potential as a leader.
There is a tendency, in our Western culture, to see Leadership as synonymous with white, middle class, male, in charge. There's a kind of unspoken template of what leadership is supposed to look like. Now we know that isn't true. Leadership can and does come in many different shapes and forms.
Good leaders don't conform to a template. Indeed, leaders are people who don't usually follow the party line. They have an edge to them, they get up people's noses sometimes, they make decisions - lots of them - that often others don't like. They say the things that need saying in a way that others understand.
Don't let the picture get in the way
However, it is important to acknowledge that people developing their leadership skills are often hampered by their picture (or other people's picture) of what a leader is supposed to 'look' like.
This is when it's important to understand that the role of leader is not only completely individual (remember, they don't fit a mould!) but also has to be worked at with belief and will and determination by the person occupying it.
It's different for everyone
Not only that, leaders will be experienced differently by the individual people they lead. One getting encouragement, another understanding. That, of course, will be due to the leader's ability to see what each person needs (more on this later).
In addition, not every leader is going to be a great leader in the sense that the world around them acknowledges their leader status. Many leaders get no 'public' recognition, only their personal satisfaction of a job well done.
Leadership theory
Seeing the Big Picture Vision
When the 'vision' word is used it usually means that someone has an idea of what the future could look like and a plan to get there. No point painting rosy, pie in the sky pictures ('we'll double our turnover in a year; we'll create international markets; we'll be number one in the UK', etc.) if pie in the sky is all they are.
More like, 'we could double our turnover in a year, this is how we could get there, this is what I expect from everyone in the organisation to help us get there and any new ideas are welcome.'
The ability to see
There is one essential quality for anyone in any position of leadership: the ability to see what is going on. Seeing is clarity. Seeing in the 'wood for the trees' kind of way.
We've heard the following phrase from a number of people throughout the years and it's a good one - get your attention off yourself and on to whatever is going on.
What you'll see
Here's what you'll be able to see if you do that: you'll be able to see things from other people's points of view; you'll be able to understand what's going on for them. You'll be able to see what other people are capable of and how to help them achieve it. Most importantly, you'll be able to see the whole picture not just your little bit of it.
Leadership skills
What makes you tick?
Know thyself. To be able to see you need a clear understanding of what has made you the way you are and what has shaped and influenced your life. The clearer you are about what motivates and affects your behaviour, the clearer you will be able to see what is going on with other people.
You didn't spring fully formed from Zeus's head - many things have affected you over the years. A good leader is proud to acknowledge role models, people, places, things, etc, which have inspired them.
You can't do it alone
Any good leader worth their salt should be able to name 100 people, places, things, right off the bat. Why? Because they know themselves well enough to acknowledge who has supported and inspired them along the way, and what support they still need to get things done.
Leadership quality
Qualities
Think about what qualities your role models have that are attractive to you, that make them inspiring. Now, putting aside modesty, false or otherwise, think about what qualities they have that you also have. You have to know who you are and accept that you have outstanding qualities - leaders are able to do that.
Beliefs, rules and patterns
How well do you understand the rules, beliefs and patterns you have created in your life so far? Everyone's got 'em.
They can be the simple kind of rule - you should brush your teeth twice a day. They can be the more complex kind - you should treat everyone the way you expect to be treated. Beliefs can be things like - I believe everyone should be fair. And patterns can be as simple as going to and from work the same way every day.
When identifying your rules, patterns and beliefs see if you can avoid putting a value judgement on whether they are good or bad; this is far more about seeing just how well you understand your own behaviour.
Leadership management
Moving things forward Innovative thinking
Leadership requires innovative thinking; it requires people making positive and inspiring impacts; and it requires them to be able to motivate others. What is needed is an ability to think and act 'out of the box'; out of the accepted or 'right' ways of doing things.
The culture of tomorrow will be one where change and innovation are the order of the day. Out of the box thinking and identifying future needs go hand in hand.
There's no such thing as 'can't do'
'Can't do' is an alien concept to a real leader. Leaders get things done. They have commitment, persistence, determination and resilience. Couple all of that with creative problem-solving and you have a person things happen around.
What we mean, is that no matter what their personality, there will be a kind of buzz around them; things change when they're around; indeed, things might even get shaken up when they're around. It isn't always comfortable being around leaders.
You can't stay stuck
Along with a 'can do' attitude, is an ability to move things forward. When others get bogged down, good leaders know how to motivate and inspire the people around them. They are willing to take risks and stand up for what they believe. They want to get things done and bring people along with them.
Development training
Can training develop leadership skills?
In our view, you cannot 'send' someone on a leadership programme who doesn't want to be there and expect them to become a leader. It's not like the reluctant presenter who gets sent along to a course and finds out that it's not so bad after all. If your prospective leader isn't fully engaged in the process, sending them along to be 'taught' leadership skills will be a waste of time and money.
If you fall into that category, then no amount of leadership training is going to develop your skills.
However, if you have to step into a new leadership role, or there are greater expectations of how you manage people, or you've become a project leader, and you have a willingness to develop and take on new skills, then it's really possible to give yourself a leadership boost. Everyone can develop their capacity to lead, from church committees to local pressure groups to business teams to political parties. When you are committed to, and practise using your leadership capabilities at all levels in your life, then you can and will develop your own potential as a leader.
Management training
We believe there is a real difference between management and leadership. You don't need to be a leader to be able to manage other people. However, to be an outstanding manager, you do have to have some of those essential skills and qualities that are necessary in developing as a leader.
Even if you are a manager with no major aspirations of leadership, there will be people who will turn to you for leadership, whether you like it or not. Therefore, when looking for training to develop your skills, it might be a very good idea to look at leadership courses as well as management courses.
Leadership courses
There are scores of courses available calling themselves Leadership Training, Leadership Development, Leadership Skills, etc. We cannot judge just how good they are, but if you think about everything you've read so far and feel in synch with our sentiments, then that's what you need to look for: courses that incorporate a clear approach to developing leadership skills.
Earlier in this document we outlined some of the things to look for in a Leadership Training Programme. Add to that list a few more essentials:
# How to initiate leadership behaviours
# Understanding how commitment works
# Leading by example
# Influencing skills
# Empowering and motivating others
# Thinking on your feet
# Handling yours and others' stress
In our view, really good leadership courses need to incorporate all of these elements to be truly effective. Equally important, a programme needs to be relevant to your specific leadership needs and not something off the peg.
This is why Impact Factory only delivers tailored leadership training; so that each and every course fits the organisation to a 'T'.
In conclusion:
Expect the unusual, the quirky, the non-conformist, the doer, the inspirer and you've got yourself a leader. To become one or to develop your leadership skills you have to be fully engaged in the process of development and just like everyone else, you have to practise, practise, practise.
Key Learning Points:
# The power of aligning personal motivation and business objectives
# The capacity of strong well expressed beliefs to motivate others
# Communication is far more than just words
# Leadership is not just about getting people to do what you ask
# It is far more about seeing what is needed and carrying people forward with your vision
# Being able to create the impact you want
# Expanding your spheres of influence
# Being able to talk to people in terms they understand
# Using appropriate language
# The relevance, development and use of personal style
# Putting across concepts and ideas with ease and flair
# The value of creative risk-taking and "out of the box" thinking
# Making sure projects move forward without having to do all the work yourself.
Labels:
Leadership Styles and Training
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