leadership
leadership
leadership development methods and tips
This leadership tips webpage is a general guide to modern ethical
progressive leadership. See also the leadership theories article for explanations
and summaries of the main leadership theories.
Explaining and understanding the nature of good leadership is
probably easier than practising it. Good leadership requires deep human
qualities, beyond conventional notions of authority.
In the modern age good leaders are an enabling force, helping
people and organizations to perform and develop, which implies that a
sophisticated alignment be achieved - of people's needs, and the aims of the
organization.
The traditional concept of a leader being the directing chief at the
top of a hierachy is nowadays a very incomplete appreciation of what true
leadership must be.
Effective leadership does not necessarily require great technical or
intellectual capacity. These attributes might help, but they are not pivotal.
Good leadership in the modern age more importantly requires attitudes and behaviours which characterise and relate to humanity.
The concept of serving is fundamental to the leadership role.
Good leadership involves serving the organization or group and the
people within it. Ineffective leaders tend to invert this principle and
consider merely that the leader must be served by the people. This faulty idea
fosters the notion that leadership as an opportunity to take: to acquire
personal status, advantage, gain, etc., at the expense of others, which is
grossly wrong. Leadership is instead an to serve the
organization, and crucially the people too. The modern notions of 'servant
leader' and 'servant leadership' are attributed to Robert K Greenleaf (in his
1970 essay The Servant as Leader) however the philosophy and concept of
leadership being a serving function rather than one that is served, is very old
indeed and found in ancient civilisations and religious writings.
Leadership is centrally concerned with people. Of course leadership
involves decisions and actions relating to all sorts of other things, but leadership is special compared to any other role because of its unique
responsibilty for people - i.e., the followers of the leader - in whatever
context leadership is seen to operate.
Many capabilities in life are a matter of acquiring skills and
knowledge and then applying them in a reliable way. Leadership is quite
different. Good leadership demands emotional strengths and behavioural
characteristics which can draw deeply on a leader's mental and spiritual
The leadership role is an inevitable reflection of people's needs
and challenges in modern life. Leadership is therefore a profound concept, with
increasingly complex implications, driven by an increasingly complex and
fast-changing world.
Leadership and management are commonly seen as the same thing,
which they are not. Leadership is also misunderstood to mean directing and
instructing people and making important decisions on behalf of an organization.
Effective leadership is much more than these.
Good leaders are followed chiefly because people trust and respect
them, rather than the skills they possess. Leadership is about behaviour first,
skills second.
This is a simple way to see how leadership is different to
management:
Management is mostly about processes.
Leadership is mostly about behaviour.
We could extend this to say:
Management relies heavily on tangible measurable capabilities
such a the use of or and the use of
appropriate communications methods.
Leadership involves many management skills, but generally as a
secondary or background function of true leadership. Leadership instead relies
most strongly on less tangible and less measurable things like trust,
inspiration, attitude, decision-making, and personal character. These are not
processes or skills or even necessarily the result of experience. They are
facets of humanity, and are enabled mainly by the leader's character and
especially his/her emotional reserves.
Another way to see leadership compared with management, is that
leadership does not crucially depend on the type of management methods
and proc leadership instead primarily depends on the
ways in which the leader uses management methods and processes.
Good leadership depends on attitudinal qualities, not management
processes.
Humanity is a way to describe these qualities, because this reflects
the leader's vital relationship with people.
Qualities critical for a leader's relationship with his/her people
are quite different to conventional skills and processes:
examples of highly significant leadership qualities
commitment
confidence
positivity
determination
compassion
sensitivity
People with these sort of behaviours and attitudes tend to attract
followers. Followers are naturally drawn to people who exhibit strength and can
inspire belief in others. These qualities tend to produce a charismatic effect.
Charisma tends to result from effective leadership and the qualities which
enable effective leadership. Charisma is by itself no guarantee of effective
leadership.
Some people are born more naturally to leadership than others. Most
people don't seek to be a leader, but many more people are able to lead, in one
way or another and in one situation or another, than they realize.
People who want to be a leader can develop leadership ability.
Leadership is not the exclusive preserve of the wealthy and educated.
Leadership is a matter of personal conviction and believing strongly
in a cause or aim, whatever it is.
Leadership sometimes comes to people later in life, and this is no
bad thing. Humanity tends to be generational characteristic. There is no real
obstacle to people who seek to become leaders if leadership is approached with
proper integrity. Anyone can be a leader if he/she is suitably driven to a
particular cause.
And many qualities of effective leadership, like confidence and
charisma, continue to grow from experience in the leadership role. Even
initially surprised modest leaders can become great ones, and sometimes the
greatest ones.
Leadership can be performed with different styles. Some leaders have
one style, which is right for certain situations and wrong for others. Some
leaders can adapt and use different leadership styles for given situations.
Adaptability of style is an increasingly significant aspect of
leadership, because the world is increasingly complex and dynamic. Adaptability
stems from objectivity, which in turn stems from emotional security and
emotional maturity. Again these strengths are not dependent on wealth or
education, or skills or processes.
Good leaders typically have a keen understanding of relationships
within quite large and complex systems and networks. This may be from an
intuitive angle, or a technical/learned angle, or both.
A very useful way to explore this crucial aspect of leadership with
respect to wider relationships and systems is offered by
how that theory relates to organizations and leadership.
a powerful change-management methodology which emerged in the 2000s. It is very helpful in understanding how and why groups of people think the way they do, and how and why they behave and make
decisions, which can
be baffling to
leaders. Nudge
theory also offers some very clever ways to alter group behaviour/behavior, which are
generally not taught or understood in the conventional leadership field.
People new to leadership (and supervision and management) often feel
under pressure to lead in a particularly dominant way. Sometimes this pressure
on a new leader to impose their authority on the team comes from above.
Dominant leadership is rarely appropriate however, especially for mature teams.
Misreading this situation, and attempting to be overly dominant, can then cause
problems for a new leader. Resistance from the team becomes a problem, and a
cycle of negative behaviours and reducing performance begins. Much of
leadership is counter-intuitive. Leadership is often more about serving than
leading. Besides which, individuals and teams tend not to resist or push
against something in which they have a strong involvement/ownership/sense of
control. People tend to respond well to thanks, encouragement, recognition,
inclusiveness, etc. Tough, overly dominant leadership gives teams a lot to push
against and resist. It also prevents a sense of ownership and self-control
among the people being led. And it also inhibits the positive rewards and
incentives (thanks, recognition, encouragement, etc) vital for teams and
individuals to cope with change, and to enjoy themselves. Leaders of course
need to be able to make tough decisions when required, but most importantly
leaders should concentrate on enabling the team to thrive, which is actually a
'serving' role, not the dominant 'leading' role commonly associated with
leadership.
is more important than ever. The world is more transparent and
connected than it has ever been. The actions and philosophies of organisations
are scrutinised by the media and the general public as never before. This
coincides with massively increased awareness and interest among people
everywhere in corporate responsibility and the many related concepts, such as
social and community responsibility (see the ). The modern leader needs to understand and aspire to
leading people and achieving greatness in all these areas.
Here is (was..) an
- (first broadcast 2 Sept 2006, part of the 'Sound Advice'
series). Its mere existence is evidence of changed attitudes to leadership.
Such a programme would not have warranted BBC airtime a generation ago due to
lack of audience interest. Today there is huge awareness of, and interest in,
more modern leadership methods. The radio discussion highlighted the need for
effective modern leaders to have emotional strength and sensitivity, far beyond
traditional ideas of more limited autocratic leadership styles. I'm sorry (if
still) this linked item is unavailable from the BBC website, especially if the
recording is lost forever in the BBC's archives. If you know a suitably
influential executive at the Beeb who can liberate it please .
Incidentally as a quick case-study, the BBC illustrates an important
aspect of leadership, namely philosophy.
Philosophy (you could call it 'fundamental purpose') is
the foundation on which to build strategy, management, operational activities,
and pretty well everything else that happens in an organization.
Whatever the size of the organization, operational activities need
to be reconcilable with a single congruent (fitting, harmonious)
philosophy.
Executives, managers, staff, customers, suppliers, stakeholders,
etc., need solid philosophical principles (another term would be a 'frame of
reference') on which to base their expectations, decisions and actions. In a
vast complex organization like the BBC, leadership will be very challenging at
the best of times due to reasons of size, diversity, political and public
interest, etc. Having a conflicting philosophy dramatically increases these
difficulties for everyone, not least the leader, because the frame of reference
is confusing.
For leadership to work well, people (employees and interested
outsiders) must be able to connect their expectations, aims and activities to a
basic purpose or philosophy of the organization. This foundational philosophy
should provide vital reference points for employees' decisions and actions - an
increasingly significant factor in modern 'empowered' organizations. Seeing a
clear philosophy and purpose is also essential for staff, customers and
outsiders in assessing crucial organizational characteristics such as
integrity, ethics, fairness, quality and performance. A clear philosophy is
vital to the 'psychological contract' - whether stated or unstated (almost
always unstated) - on which people (employees, customers or observers) tend to
judge their relationships and transactions.
The BBC is an example (it's not the only one) of an organization
which has a confusing organizational philosophy. At times it is inherently
conflicting. For example: Who are its owners? Who are its customers? What are
its priorities and obligations? Are its commercial operations a means to an
end, or an end in themselves? Is its main aim to provide commercial mainstream
entertainment, or non-commercial education and information? Is it a public
service, or is it a commercial provider? Will it one day be privatised in part
or whole? If so will this threaten me or benefit me? As an employee am I
sharing in something, or being exploited? As a customer (if the description is
apt) am I also an owner? Or am I funding somebody else's gravy train? What are
the organization's obligations to the state and to government?
Given such uncertainties, not only is there a very unclear basic
philosophy and purpose, but also, it's very difficult to achieve consistency
for leadership messages to staff and customers. Also, how can staff and
customers align their efforts and expectations with such confusing aims and
principles?
The BBC is just an example. There are many organizations, large and
small, with conflicting and confusing fundamental aims. The lesson is that
philosophy - or underpinning purpose - is the foundation on which leadership
(for strategy, management, motivation, everything) is built. If the foundation
is not solid and viable, and is not totally congruent with what follows, then
everything built onto it is prone to wobble, and at times can fall over
completely.
Get the philosophy right - solid and in harmony with the activities
- and the foundation is strong.
provides a helpful perspective for aligning people
and organizational philosopy.
This of course gives rise to the question of what to do if you find
yourself leading a team or organization which lacks clarity of fundamental
philosophy and purpose, and here lies an inescapable difference between
managing and leading:
As a leader your responsibility extends beyond leading the
people. True leadership also includes - as far as your situation allows - the
responsibility to protect or refine fundamental purpose and philosophy.
See also the notes and processes for incorporating .
allegiance and
leadership
Different leaders have different ideas about leadership. For
example, see below , which even though quite modern compared to many leaders, is
nevertheless based on quite traditional leadership principles.
First here is a deeper more philosophical view of effective modern
leadership which addresses the foundations of effective leadership, rather than
the styles and methods built on top, which are explained later.
A British government initiative surfaced in March 2008, which
suggested that young people should swear an oath of allegiance to 'Queen and
Country', seemingly as a means of improving national loyalty, identity, and
allegiance.
While packaged as a suggestion to address 'disaffection' among young
people, the idea was essentially concerned with leadership - or more precisely
a failing leadership.
The idea was rightly and unanimously dismissed by all sensible
commentators as foolhardy nonsense, but it does provide a wonderful perspective
by which to examine and illustrate the actual important principles of
leadership:
Always, when leaders say that the people are not following, it's
the leaders who are lost, not the people.
Leaders get lost because of isolation, delusion, arrogance, plain
stupidity, etc., but above all because they become obsessed with imposing their
authority, instead of truly leading.
Incidentally, leading is helping people achieve a shared vision,
not telling people what to do.
It is not possible for a leader to understand and lead people
when the leader's head is high in the clouds or stuck firmly up his backside.
That is to say - loyalty to leadership relies on the leader
having a connection with and understanding of people's needs and wishes and
possibilities. Solutions to leadership challenges do not lie in the leader's
needs and wishes. Leadership solutions lie in the needs and wishes of the
followers.
The suggestion that loyalty and a following can be built by
simply asking or forcing people to be loyal is not any basis for effective
leadership.
Prior to expecting anyone to follow, a leader first needs to
demonstrate a vision and values worthy of a following.
A given type of leadership inevitably attracts the same type of
followers. Put another way, a leadership cannot behave in any way that it asks
its people not to.
In other words, for people to embrace and follow modern
compassionate, honest, ethical, peaceful, and fair principles, they must see
these qualities demonstrated by their leadership.
People are a lot cleverer than most leaders think.
People have a much keener sense of truth than most leaders
People quickly lose faith in a leader who behaves as if points 10
and 11 do not exist.
People generally have the answers which elude the leaders - they
just have better things to do than help the leader to lead - like getting on
with their own lives.
A leadership which screws up in a big way should come clean and
admit their errors. People will generally forgive mistakes but they do not
tolerate being treated like idiots by leaders.
And on the question of mistakes, a mistake is an opportunity to
be better, and to show remorse and a lesson learned. This is how civilisation
progresses.
A leader should be brave enough to talk when lesser people want
to fight. Anyone can resort to threats and aggression. Being aggressive is not
leading. It might have been a couple of thousand years ago, but it's not now.
The nature of humankind and civilisation is to become more civilised. Leaders
should enable not obstruct this process.
traditional leadership tips - jack welch
Jack Welch, respected business leader and writer is quoted as
proposing these fundamental leadership principles (notably these principles are
expanded in his 2001 book 'Jack: Straight From The Gut'):
There is only one way - the straight way. It sets the tone of the
organisation.
Be open to the best of what everyone, everywhere,
transfer learning across your organisation.
Get the right people in the right jobs - it is more important
than developing a strategy.
An informal atmosphere is a competitive advantage.
Make sure everybody counts and everybody knows they count.
Legitimate self-confidence is a winner - the true test of
self-confidence is the courage to be open.
Business has to be fun - celebrations energise and
organisation.
Never underestimate the other guy.
Understand where real value is added and put your best people
Know when to meddle and when to let go - this is pure
As a leader, your main priority is to get the job done, whatever the
job is. Leaders make things happen by:
knowing your objectives and having a plan how to achieve
building a team committed to achieving the objectives
helping each team member to give their best efforts
As a leader you must know yourself. Know your own strengths and
weaknesses, so that you can build the best team around you.
However - always remember the philosophical platform - this
ethical platform is not a technique or a process - it's the foundation on which
all the techniques and methodologies are based.
Plan carefully, with your people where appropriate, how you will
achieve your aims. You may have to redefine or develop your own new aims and
priorities. Leadership can be daunting for many people simply because no-one
else is issuing the aims - leadership often means you have to create your own
from a blank sheet of paper. Set and agree clear standards. Keep the right
balance between 'doing' yourself and managing others 'to do'.
Build teams. Ensure you look after people and that communications
and relationships are good. Select good people and help them to develop.
Develop people via training and experience, particularly by agreeing objectives
and responsibilities that will interest and stretch them, and always support
people while they strive to improve and take on extra tasks. Follow the rules
closely - this process is
crucial. Ensure that your managers are applying the same principles. Good
leadership principles must cascade down through the whole organisation. This
means that if you are leading a large organisation you must check that the
processes for managing, communicating and developing people are in place and
working properly.
Communication is critical. Listen, consult, involve, explain why as
well as what needs to be done.
Some leaders lead by example and are very 'hands on'; others are
more distanced and let their people do it. Whatever - your example is paramount
- the way you work and conduct yourself will be the most you can possibly
expect from your people. If you set low standards you are to blame for low
standards in your people.
"... Praise loudly, blame softly." (Catherine the Great). Follow
this maxim.
If you seek one singlemost important behaviour that will rapidly
earn you respect and trust among your people, this is it: Always give your
people the credit for your achievements and successes. Never take the credit
yourself - even if it's all down to you, which would be unlikely anyway. You
must however take the blame and accept responsibility for any failings or
mistakes that your people make. Never never never publicly blame another person
for a failing. Their failing is your responsibility - true leadership offers is
no hiding place for a true leader.
Take time to listen to and really understand people. Walk the job.
Ask and learn about what people do and think, and how they think improvements
can be made.
Accentuate the positive. Express things in terms of what should be
done, not what should not be done. If you accentuate the negative, people are
more likely to veer towards it. Like the mother who left her five-year-old for
a minute unsupervised in the kitchen, saying as she left the room, "...don't
you go putting those beans up your nose..."
Have faith in people to do great things - given space and air and
time, everyone can achieve more than they hope for. Provide people with
relevant interesting opportunities, with proper measures and rewards and they
will more than repay your faith.
Take difficult decisions bravely, and be truthful and sensitive when
you implement them.
Constantly seek to learn from the people around you - they will
teach you more about yourself than anything else. They will also tell you 90%
of what you need to know to achieve your business goals.
Embrace change, but not for change's sake. Begin to plan your own
succession as soon as you take up your new post, and in this regard, ensure
that the only promises you ever make are those that you can guarantee to
Here are some processes and tips for training and
developing leadership.
leadership behaviours and
development of leadership style and skills
Leadership skills are based on leadership behaviour. Skills alone do
not make leaders - style and behaviour do. If you are interested in leadership
training and development - start with leadership behaviour.
The growing awareness and demand for idealist principles in
leadership are increasing the emphasis (in terms of leadership characteristics)
on business ethics, corporate responsibility, emotional maturity, personal
integrity, and what is popularly now known as the
(abbreviated to TBL or 3BL, representing 'profit, people, planet').
For many people (staff, customers, suppliers, investors,
commentators, visionaries, etc) these are becoming the most significant areas
of attitude/behaviour/appreciation required in modern business and
organisational leaders.
3BL (triple bottom line - profit, people, planet) also provides an
excellent multi-dimensional framework for explaining, developing and assessing
leadership potential and capability, and also links strongly with psychology
aspects if for instance psychometrics (personality testing) features in
leadership selection and development methods: each of us is more naturally
inclined to one or the other (profit, people, planet) by virtue of our
personality, which can be referenced to Jung, Myers Briggs, etc.
Much debate persists as to the validity of 'triple bottom line
accounting', since standards and measures are some way from being clearly
defined and agreed, but this does not reduce the relevance of the concept, nor
the growing public awareness of it, which effectively and continuously
re-shapes markets and therefore corporate behaviour. Accordingly leaders need
to understand and respond to such huge attitudinal trends, whether they can be
reliably accounted for or not at the moment.
Adaptability and vision - as might be demonstrated via project
development scenarios or tasks - especially involving modern communications and
knowledge technologies - are also critical for certain leadership roles, and
provide unlimited scope for leadership development processes, methods and
activities.
Cultural diversity is another topical and very relevant area
requiring leadership involvement, if not mastery. Large organisations
particularly must recognise that the market-place, in terms of staff, customers
and suppliers, is truly global now, and leaders must be able to function and
appreciate and adapt to all aspects of cultural diversification. A leaders who
fails to relate culturally well and widely and openly inevitably condemns the
entire organisation to adopt the same narrow focus and bias exhibited by the
Bear in mind that different leadership jobs (and chairman) require
different types of leaders - Churchill was fine for war but not good for
peacetime re-building. There's a big difference between short-term return on
investment versus long-term change. Each warrants a different type of
leadership style, and actually very few leaders are able to adapt from one to
the other. (Again see the
section: short-term results and profit require strong Jungian
'thinking' orientation, or frontal
whereas long-term
vision and change require 'intuition' orientation, or frontal right brain
dominance).
If it's not clear already, leadership is without doubt mostly about
behaviour, especially towards others. People who strive for these things
generally come to be regarded and respected as a leader by their people:
Integrity - the most i without it everything
else is for nothing.
Having an effective appreciation and approach towards corporate
responsibility, (Triple Bottom Line, Fair Trade, etc), so that the need to make
profit is balanced with wider social and environmental responsibilities.
Being very grown-up - never getting emotionally negative with
people - no shouting or ranting, even if you feel very upset or angry.
Leading by example - always be seen to be working harder and
more determinedly than anyone else.
Helping alongside your people when they need it.
Fairness - treating everyone equally and on merit.
Being firm and clear in dealing with bad or unethical behaviour.
Listening to and really understanding people, and show them that
you understand (this doesn't mean you have to agree with everyone -
understanding is different to agreeing).
Always taking the responsibility and blame for your people's
Always giving your people the credit for your successes.
Never self-promoting.
Backing-up and supporting your people.
Being decisive - even if the decision is to delegate or do
nothing if appropriate - but be seen to be making fair and balanced decisions.
Asking for people's views, but remain neutral and objective.
Being honest but sensitive in the way that you give bad news or
criticism.
Always doing what you say you will do - keeping your promises.
Working hard to become expert at what you do technically, and at
understanding your people's technical abilities and challenges.
Encouraging your people to grow, to learn and to take on as much
as they want to, at a pace they can handle.
Always accentuating the positive (say 'do it like this', not
'don't do it like that').
Smiling and encouraging others to be happy and enjoy themselves.
Relaxing - breaking down the barriers and the leadership awe -
and giving your people and yourself time to get to know and respect each other.
Taking notes and keeping good records.
Planning and prioritising.
Managing your time well and helping others to do so too.
Involving your people in your thinking and especially in managing
Reading good books, and taking advice from good people, to help
develop your own understanding of yourself, and particularly of other people's
weaknesses (some of the best
are not about business at all - they are about people who
triumph over adversity).
Achieve the company tasks and objectives, while maintaining your
integrity, the trust of your people, are a balancing the corporate aims with
the needs of the world beyond.
great leadership quotes and
inspirational quotes
Some of these quotes are available as .
"People ask the difference between a leader and a boss.... The
leader works in the open, and the boss in covert. The leader leads and the boss
drives." (Theodore Roosevelt)
"The marksman hitteth the target partly by pulling, partly by
letting go. The boatsman reacheth the landing partly by pulling, partly by
letting go." (Egyptian proverb)
"No man is fit to command another that cannot command himself."
(William Penn)
"It is amazing what you can accomplish if you do not care who gets
the credit." (President Harry S Truman)
"I not only use all the brains I have, but all I can borrow."
(Woodrow Wilson)
"What should it profit a man if he would gain the whole world yet
lose his soul." (The Holy Bible, Mark 8:36)
"A dream is just a dream. A goal is a dream with a plan and a
deadline." (Harvey Mackay)
"Ideas are like rabbits. You get a couple, learn how to look after
them, and pretty soon you have a dozen." (John Steinbeck)
"I keep six honest serving-men, They taught me all I Their
names are What and Why and When, And How and Where and Who." (Rudyard Kipling,
from 'Just So Stories', 1902.)
"A dwarf standing on the shoulders of a giant may see farther than
the giant himself." (Didacus Stella, circa AD60 - and, as a matter of interest,
abridged on the edge of an English &2 coin)
"Integrity without knowledge is weak and useless, and knowledge
without integrity is dangerous and dreadful." (Samuel Johnson 1709-84)
"The most important thing in life is not to capitalise on your
successes - any fool can do that. The really important thing is to profit from
your mistakes." (William Bolitho, from 'Twelve against the Gods')
"Out of the night that covers me, Black as the pit from pole to
pole, I thank whatever gods may be, For my unconquerable soul. In the fell
clutch of circumstance, I have not winced nor cried aloud: Under the
bludgeonings of chance my head is bloody but unbowed . . . . . It matters not
how strait the gait, how charged with punishments the scroll, I am the master
of my fate: I am the captain of my soul." (WE Henley, , from
'Invictus')
"Everybody can get angry - that's easy. But getting angry at the
right person, with the right intensity, at the right time, for the right reason
and in the right way - that's hard." (Aristotle)
"Management means helping people to get the best out of themselves,
not organising things." (Lauren Appley)
"It's not the critic who counts, not the one who points out how the
strong man stumbled or how the doer of deeds might have done them better. The
credit belongs to the man who is a whose face is marred
with the swea w who errs and comes up
s who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions and
spends himself in a worthy cause and who, at best knows the triumph of high
achievement and who at worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly
so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who know
neither victory nor defeat." (Theodore Roosevelt.)
"Behind an able man there are always other able men." (Chinese
"I praise loudly. I blame softly." (Catherine the Great,
"Experto Credite." ("Trust one who has proved it." Virgil, 2,000
years ago.)
See also the
for leadership quotes.
leadership development exercises and games
The are various games and exercises on the
section that work
well for demonstrating, assessing and developing leadership. See particularly
the 'leading
or managing' exercise, which is a flexible activity for illustrating the
differences between managing and leading. As regards leadership exercises for
experiential development of leadership abilities, focus on the leadership
challenge of leading and managing a team - the task itself is secondary - so
virtually any team game is suitable provided you give each leader a team of
four or more people to lead. The more people, the bigger the test of
leadership. You do not need a complicated exercise to create a leadership
challenge. The leadership challenge is produced by having to organise, plan and
motivate a team of people. In fact, if the task is too complex it will obscure
the team leadership issues, by distracting from or hampering leadership skills
and qualities. For leadership development choose exercises that includes an
enjoyable and achievable challenge - even very basic games like newspaper
towers will be a good test of leadership if you create teams of four or more
for the leader to lead. Use games that you feel will produce variety, fun and a
mixture of activities. The
exercise is particularly suitable to test and develop leadership
skills. Choose a mixture of exercises which encourage the leaders think about
using a different approach, and different people's strengths, for each
challenge.
leadership articles and leadership development justification
Many articles appear in the press and trade journals about
look out for them, they can teach you a lot.
Newspaper articles - particularly those that appear in the serious
press - about leadership and management, organizational and business culture,
are an excellent source of ideas, examples and references for developing
leadership.
A journalist could have spent a week researching the subject,
talking to leading business leaders, academics and writers, and preparing
useful statistics. This is valuable material. Learn from it, use it and keep
it, because finding specific detail like this is usually quite difficult.
Serious relevant articles in the newspapers, trade press, or online
equivalent, cost little or nothing, and yet they can be invaluable in
developing your own ideas about leadership, and in providing compelling
justification to organizations and managers for the need to adopt new ideas and
different approach to leadership development.
Particularly powerful are articles which describe corporate
failings, many with huge liabilities, arising from poor leadership behaviour
and decisions, and which appear in the news virtually every week. Recent
history is also littered with all sorts of corporate disasters and scandals,
and while these high-profile examples are of a grander scale than usually
applies in typical organisations, the same principles apply - an organisation
is only as good as its leadership - at all levels.
Business disasters and failures - be their nature environmental,
financial, safety, commercial or people-related - are invariably traceable back
to a failure in leadership, and so any boardroom that says "That sort of thing
wouldn't happen to us.." or "Our managers all know how to lead without being
taught.." is probably riding for a fall.
Finding specific examples of cost and return on investment relating
to leadership development is not easy (measuring leadership 'cause and effect'
is not as simple as more tangible business elements), which is why it's useful
to keep any such articles when you happen to see them.
Certain leadership development organisations are sometimes able to
provide ROI justification and/or case studies, which is another possible source
of evidence for reports and justification studies.
And given the growing significance of corporate ethics and
responsibility, we can expect to see increasing ROI data relating to 'Triple
Bottom Line' and 'Corporate Responsibility', which being strongly linked to
leadership therefore will provide a further source of evidence and
justification for leadership development.
- very relevant to generational motivation and
leadership
authorship/referencing
Alan Chapman/Businessballs
Please see additional below.
& Businessballs 2015