Leadership skills are grown over time in a progressive fashion. At the start of one’s career, an individual typically works in a technical area and distinguishes himself or herself through technical expertise, outcomes, and innovation. It is important to recognise that leadership skills, like any other type of skill, can be learned and improved. More challenging, however, is the development of the personal attributes that are necessary for effective leadership.”
The next level of leadership is operational. At that level, the individual will gain financial and operational knowledge and quantitative skills (such as understanding costs) that are relevant to the role. If the individual excels at that level, he or she may be tapped to undertake higher-level roles that are more strategic in nature.
A senior leader will be required to understand the sector environment and upcoming policy/legislation changes. In addition, a strategic leader will need to keep a constant eye on the competition. Positioning the organisation for success in a rapidly changing environment with fast-moving competitors is one of the primary responsibilities of the senior strategic leader.
It is important to recognize that leadership skills, like any other type of skill, can be learned and improved. The knowledge-based components of a skill, such as finance or accounting, can be acquired readily in class, online, or with self-directed learning. More challenging, however, is the development of the personal attributes that are necessary for effective leadership. Feedback is a key tool in the development of these attributes. The most common, but sometimes least effective, form of feedback is the annual performance review. More effective methods are structured 360-degree evaluations (which provide the opportunity for honest and frank feedback) and coaching (which can be used to establish and execute individualised developmental plans).
Practicing leadership is as much an art as it is a discipline. A common mistake is for leaders to get too involved in day-to-day operational issues, thereby taking their eyes off the ball and potentially missing new opportunities or emerging threats to the organization. With a team-based mindset, the goal of the leader should not be to make the best decisions for the organization, but rather to ensure that the best decisions are being made at all levels. A leader who attempts to make all the decisions will inevitably fail as it is impossible for one individual to be correct all the time. A leader with an engaged team will benefit from a more diverse analysis of challenging situations and will be more likely to make the right call. Team-building, empowerment, and trust with a willingness to listen to suggestions with an open mind are signs of prescient leadership.
Because organisations and their environments constantly change, one of the core responsibilities of leaders is initiating and managing the internal changes necessary to adapt to changing circumstances. A thorough discussion on managing change is beyond the scope of this essay; however, it is likely true that without initiating change, one is merely managing and not leading. The ability to effectively institute positive change will stretch and challenge even the best leaders. The attributes discussed above are critical to this process.
Great organisations require great leaders, and the best organisations understand that cultivating leadership skills should be intentional and not left to chance.