Developing Strong Leaders

Your willingness to acquire leadership skills is what matters most.

Think about your first leadership/management role. How did you go in this role – did it come easily or did you struggle? How did you “learn” to be a leader/manager? Some will thrive while others struggle. The reality is that we absorb messages and understanding of leadership and management from a variety of people and sources, often without even knowing it. To be a successful leader requires awareness and a desire to develop.

Assessment of competency is a critical factor in many promotions and appointments to leadership / management roles. The assumption made is that these people, because they perform well in their current role will perform well in the role of leader/manager. The result is that many new leaders find themselves entirely unprepared for their new role which often leads them to focus on the substance of their role and to ignore or avoid the people elements which of course are the essential foundation of good leadership. 

If leadership is about influencing a group of people to achieve a common goal, the assessment and development of the skills and behaviours required for leadership and a willingness to grow in these areas is critical for leadership development. Many new leaders simply use the messages and experience they’ve had previously to shape their leadership. They jump in and are often blind to their impact on the team.  Without continuing support for the development of leaders, promotions to leadership positions can often result in negative business impacts such as increased turnover, decreased productivity, increased error rates.

Awareness and a desire to learn are critical to leadership development.  Here are a couple of questions I ask people interested in leadership roles:

1. What makes a good leader?

2. Do I have these qualities? Why would people follow me?

3. What can I do to develop my leadership qualities?

4. What support is available to me in my development as a leader?

Are you new to a leadership position and looking for someone to support your development? Contact me to discuss how coaching can help you.