Leadership - part 2 (excerpts from The Leadership Challenge)

“…We started with an assumption that we didn’t have to interview and survey star performers in excellent companies to discover best practices. Instead, we assumed that by asking ordinary people to describe extraordinary leadership experiences, we would find patters of success. And we did.

When they are doing their best, leaders exhibit certain distinct practices, which vary little from industry to industry, profession to profession, community to community, and country to country. Good leadership is an understandable and universal process. Though each leader is a unique individual, there are shared patterns to the practice of leadership. And these practices can be learned.

“…The leaders we have worked with and learned from have asked us many questions about enhancing their leadership capabilities:

· What values should guide my actions as a leader?

· How do I best set an example for others?

· How do I articulate a vision of the future when things are so unpredictable?

· How do I improve my ability to inspire others towards a common purpose?

· How do I create an environment that promotes innovation and risk?

· How do I build a cohesive and spirited team?

· How do I share power and information and still maintain accountability?

· How do I put more joy and celebration into our efforts?

· What is the source of self-confidence required to lead others?

· How do I go about improving my leadership abilities?

“…The domain of leaders is now. The leader’s unique legacy is the creation of valued institutions that survive over time. The most significant contribution leaders make is not simply to today’s bottom line; it is to the long-term development of people and institutions so they can adapt, change, prosper and grow.

Leadership is important, not just in your career and within your organization, but in every sector, in every community, and in every country. We need more exemplary leaders, and we need them more than ever. There is so much extraordinary work that needs to be done. We need leaders who can unite us and ignite us.

In the end, we realize that leadership development is self-development. Meeting the leadership challenge is a personal -and a daily- challenge for all of us. We know that if you have the will and the way to lead, you can. You have to supply the will. We’ll do our best to supply the way.”