Leadership is a critically important aspect of business success.
The research is clear: companies that build a solid pipeline of leaders are far better equipped to weather any storm and to succeed in spite of any challenge. In fact, there is no doubt about the effect of strong leadership on short and long term performance.
With many organizations scrambling to survive in times of economic uncertainty, leadership becomes the key in laying a solid foundation for the future.
Defining Leadership
A leader is one who is able to inspire a shared vision, to model the behavior that brings that vision into reality, and to enlist and enable others who will adopt and support the same vision.
Leaders rarely achieve results on their own. Their greatest gift is being able to bring people together and inspire a level of collaboration that ultimately leads to success. They are the people who have the charisma and tenacity to band together a group of individuals and build them into purpose-minded team players with a positive attitude focused on a brighter future.
Leaders do not take all the credit. They share the wealth and the reward. They understand that they didn’t get there alone.
Assessing leadership levels in your organization? Consider this…
Leadership does not always have a title. Leadership has nothing to do with rank or title. It’s all about perception.
Leaders are not always the CEO or the President. They may be managers or executives, and often are, but they can also be staff members and team members whose job description did not specify the need for leadership. They are the ones that people naturally turn to for advice, and you can find them at any level in the organization structure.
Leaders don’t dominate, they influence. True leadership is not demanding. Leaders help others to find value in changes and situations; they inspire change with their clarity of vision and commitment to goals.
Leadership is effectiveness. While the most common measure of success directly correlates to the goals one has set and reached, true leaders are aware that real success is measured by the impact of their relationships. Leaders have an uncanny ability to inspire and motivate others to effective action.
You can always spot the leaders. They are the ones who communicate effectively, inspire and motivate others, set clear boundaries, naturally build trust in their relationships, advocate for what’s right, manage conflict in a respectful way, and set a clear course toward goals that others can get behind.
Are you a strong leader and do you attract others with leadership qualities? This is a question worth asking on a regular basis, as you move into the future.
Building a solid pipeline of leaders is the best way to assure future success within your organization. If you’re not sure how to begin, a coach can help.
Your success is my business.
Until next time,
Sherry