In my opinion this question has a number of parts, all of which play an integral part in a persons leadership development.

Firstly I believe that its important to recognise that the social development of individuals is very different from our parents and grand parents. So what effect does our social development have on our leadership potential I hear your ask? Well in yesteryear, adolescents were surrounded with family and older role models. If we think of the tribal/village environment, small boys and girls were taught by their fathers, mothers, brothers, sisters, uncles etc. Today we no longer live in a tribal environment; we live in a global environment. Families are spread all over the world, and even those in the same city will not interact, as did families of yesteryear. Our lifestyles have largely influenced this. Parents are busier, parents are working longer hours, and with competing social and career goals, family interaction has taken a lower priority. The net effect of this social environment is that adolescents and hence young corporate individuals don’t have the same development of their parents, and grand parents.

I think we’ll see a whole generation that has missed out on the leadership development that our forefathers had, that stems from being coached, and mentored by their alders, mentors.
Gen Y will present a unique set of challenges for corporate managers who seek to develop their potential and skill sets.

Management structures today are very flat, gone of the days of vertically structured organisations. Some may argue this point, however on the whole organisations have seen the performance increases and lack of “red tape” that are seen with flatter management structures. However with flatter corporate structures comes some negative effects. The lines of reporting may be a lot more complex. An individual nowadays may have a number of direct and in direct reporting lines. This complicates the process whereby the individual is developed within their role. As structures are flat, competitiveness will become a lot more prominent, and as individuals don’t have true managers to bounce idea’s off and shape their leadership styles, they are left to develop their own style.

So within our corporate environment of 2009, how do I develop my leadership style?

There are a number of ways to develop your leadership skill sets, and by understanding the differences in social development and corporate structures, allows you to develop skills to negate your lack of development in certain area’s.

First, look into role modelling. Role modelling isn’t a new concept by any means; it’s been around for thousands of years. Spartan boys were trained by the hardest and most battle hardened warriors. Role modelling is also used within sporting development. If you want to become a better golfer, surround yourself with better golfers. Just by purely interacting with them, you by proxy develop your own mindset, skill sets and motivation. The skill set sharing that occurs with role modelling is a powerful tool. You can do this via official or un-official avenues. Many organisations have mentoring programmes. If your company has a mentoring programme, then look into whether you can join. Some companies have strict criteria, so if you can’t use official avenues then your next step is to look into un-official avenues. You can still have a mentor, without your organisation providing one. The keys to looking for a good mentor are:

1. Look at your existing contacts. A great mentor may be someone you already know.
2. The person you choose must know your craft better than you.
3. Ask yourself, do you respect them.

Lastly look at Executive coaches. Many executive coaches have a number of skill sets that may provide you with that elusive skill set, that ear to bounce idea’s off, and knowledge of leadership development.
One of the benefits of Executive coaches is that they are not employed by your boss, therefore have no reporting responsibilities to your boss, and have your best interests as their priority. Executive coaches do charge fee’s and in my experience their fee structure is aligned with their experience and skill sets. Executive coaches should look at your strengths and short comings, therefore tailoring a coaching programme to increase your performance levels within your craft. The programme may include and not be limited to recommending training for skill set development, coaching for emotional intelligence development and also scenario training. The executive coach will endeavour to provide you with the tools, skill sets, and the confidence that may have been developed through scenario rehearsals that drill the individual within certain scenarios that the individual may want to improve in.

In 2009, individuals need to be proactive and flexible in pursuing their leadership development. Books and learning can provide the methodology, however without the rehearsal and application of skill sets will not provide the individual with the instinctive behavioural shifts in order to replicate these leadership competencies.

Therefore, I believe that individuals today can develop their leadership skills by:
1. Constantly learning, both their craft and also leadership methodologies.
2. Engage a mentor, or role model
3. Engage a coach.

What are your thoughts? Do you have any other idea’s for leadership development?

A leader’s understanding of EI is crucial in allowing them to understand their own capabilities and, more importantly, those of their employees. Being able to tap into employees’ strengths, whilst developing their weaknesses, is an important leadership skill.

Those with strong EI qualities often find it easier to develop rapport, and motivate their teams, as their teams identify with their leaders much more easier that those with poor EI skills. I’ve listed six ‘must have’ EI qualities are below. They form the final six qualities that I believe makes a good leader, following on from my last blog:

1. Compassion: Compassion, sympathy and empathy are hallmarks of superior emotional intelligence. Fostering compassion with your employees will forge a bond that shows you care about who they are as individuals.
2. Innovation: Encourage a spirit of innovation. This empowers employees to ‘own’ their ideas and go beyond simply performing the bare minimum.
3. Constant self-evaluation: We are all human beings and striving for constant self-improvement will take you to new heights.
4. Resilience: Your ability to bounce back from setbacks is a skill that demonstrates your composure and confidence. When your employees see this, it sets an example and gives them courage to do the same – especially when they already know they have your support.
5. Loyalty: Loyalty works both ways. In the eyes of your employees, their loyalty to you is the same as their loyalty to the company. You must be sure your employees feel you are loyal to them as well.
6. Positive attitude; Cynicism is a poison that spreads very quickly. Develop a “can do” attitude – its contagious. It also promotes a results-driven environment and fosters healthy morale. 

Tell me what you think – does emotional intelligence play a major part in developing leadership qualities?

Are good and great leaders born with leadership qualities? Or do we have the potential to develop our own leadership qualities?

I think that there are very few people who, from birth, possess, all the intricate qualities that make a good leader – they are the product of many experiences, beliefs and learnings that has shaped a particular leadership personality. So yes, I do think that we can develop our own leadership qualities.

In order to do this, the obvious (and fundamental) question has to be ‘what makes a good leader?’ We all may come up with differing opinions on what these qualities are, however after much discussion with leaders I admire, I was able to identify some common themes.

Leadership qualities that rank most highly with my mini focus group are listed below. None of these qualities will be of any great surprise to you. If you use the concept of treating others the way you would like to be treated, then you can’t go wrong and can develop a very competent leadership style.

See how you can apply them to your job to improve your leadership style.

The top 10:

1. Strength of character: Those I spoke to are adamant that leaders need a strong character to communicate their ideas and sell their views to others. This strength of character also helps them absorb criticism in a healthy way, without personalising it.
2. Vision: Vision is necessary to help a leader not only understand his or her immediate situation, but to predict likely scenarios that could happen in the future. More importantly, it allows good leaders to have a very clear articulated idea/goal of what they want to achieve. By knowing what they wanted to achieve, they are more likely to achieve it. If they are passionate about it, they are more likely to convince others to buy into their plan.
3. Systematic thinking: A leader who thinks systematically is able to better problem solve. They do this by filtering non-important issues to develop focused solutions and courses of action.
4. Honesty and integrity: Integrity ranked highly within my discussion group; most of the people I spoke with expected their leaders to act and operate with integrity at all times. People simply expect this from their leaders.
5. Fairness: To be a good leader, it’s critical that your employees believe you are fair. Use balanced judgment and be reasonable. Don’t let rules get in the way of fairness and good judgment. Fairness, whether it affects someone positively or negatively, promotes respect when carried out consistently.
6. Thoroughness and persistence: Those I spoke with concur that a good leader is reasonable but doesn’t compromise (or dilute) agreed upon standards. Be true to what you’ve agreed to, use the systems as designed, and manage expectations.
7. Listen: A big criticism of below par leadership is poor listening skills. Listening to colleagues is one of the most powerful skills that a good leader possesses. Listen without pre-conceived ideas. Listening is instrumental to getting to know your employees. It’s a cost effective skill that provides a great return on investment.
8. Stability under stress: Good leaders approach problems calmly and send the message that the crisis can be overcome. Don’t panic or waver in the face of adversity – you’re free to act. A calm leader promotes calmness in others. Provide reassurance and project confidence that everything will work out. In doing so, you’re reaffirming belief in your employees and in your leadership.
9. Consistency: An inconsistent leader creates uncertainty and fear. People need to feel secure. Your employees need to know how you’re going to react, that ‘the rules’ won’t change. If they do, communicate this upfront. Fear results in inaction, passivity and a sense of personal isolation; consistency promotes pro-activeness, as employees feel confident in their abilities and your support.
10. Mutual support: While you honour your employees by holding them accountable for their work, you also want to inspire a sense of ‘team’. You shoulder some of the accountability. You serve as a kind of buffer between your employees and the outside world and give them feedback they need in a constructive and supportive way. Your employees are more likely to respect your leadership and work with you, not just for you, when they are confident in your support of them and their work.

I’d love to know what leadership qualities you think are important.

What do you consider to be good and poor leadership qualities?

I’ve got another six good ones to list from my leadership discussions, and will post them on my next blog.

While you’re likely to have your own views, I believe that in its most simple form leadership is the ability for a person (or groups) to lead, motivate, focus, and empower the people around them to achieve goals. Its also really personal – no two leaders lead the same way.

What I firmly believe from working in leadership roles within the corporate world and the military is that leadership is distinct from command and management.

What I’ve learned is that management is about the control and organisation of assets, money, functionality and, to a lesser extent, people. Command on the other hand is purely about control. Leadership is purely about people and relationships, and how you can focus these two factors on achieving a common goal.

Looking at leadership, I’ve come across three distinct styles.

Authoritative style is where a leader exerts high levels of power without contributions from team members.  This style is often overused, however is effective in times of crisis, where risk is assumed and time for debate is limited.

Participative style is where a leader engages and motivates those around them to buy into and own a plan.  This style allows for collaboration from the whole team.  However it can present problems in crisis environments or situations with large numbers of people.

Free reign is where no rules or direction is provided, allowing environmental and personality forces to determine the outcome.

So what is the perfect leadership style?  Who do you think of as being a great leader? While many of us have differing view of what good leadership is, no two leaders will have exactly the same qualities.

In my mind, a good leader can display management, command and leadership traits based on the situation – and has the intuition to determine when to use each particular style to match the situation at hand.

For example, if the situation dictates fast action with considerable risk or danger, then they the leader may exercise an authoritative/commanding style for quick execution.

Just as crucial is knowing when to switch back to a participative style that involves delegating, empowering and motivating.  Commanding or authoritative leadership is best used in small doses.  Used too much and it loses its effect!  Understanding when to use style and then switch back is truly an art.

Personally, I believe a good measure of a great leader is his or her understated interpersonal skills and emotional intelligence.  Some of the best leaders I’ve seen are not those who command respect or control multimillion dollar budgets.  They’re the ones who engage those around them.  Who are able to pick up on the moods of people they are leading to support them and motivate them in the best way possible.

Think for a minute: have you ever worked for a person who took the time to get to know what made you tick? Who acknowledged your strengths and took the time to help you develop your weaknesses?  If you have, you’ve no doubt worked for a leader who has a good emotional intelligence.

That’s why asking new managers or junior leaders if they’re a manager or a leader is a great question;  it can help shape their understanding and view of what they want to achieve from their role and the relationships within it.

What does leadership mean to you?  Whose leadership style do you admire?