Leadership Development

Leadership skills take time, practice and experience to develop. This is true for individuals and for organizations. A common myth is that leadership is “thrust upon us.” Yet a careful examination shows that while leadership talent is evident early in life, the skills to effectively use that talent needs continuous and purposeful development.

Building quality leadership in yourself, your employees and your organization is a core component of success. Among the key concepts in leadership development:

Self Efficacy - A person's belief about their own capabilities to produce effects has an impact on how their ability to provide leadership. Assessing personal attitudes and beliefs and providing
Visioning - Developing the ability to formulate a clear image of the aspired future of an organization unit
Experiential Learning - create or find opportunities to build skills that support self efficacy and develop visioning ability

"A failure is a man who has blundered, but is not able to cash in the experience."
- Elbert Hubbard

Tips for Self-Leadership

The following is from Richard J. Leider’s “The Ultimate Leadership Task”:

Recognize your stress level. Watch for signs of stress – forgetfulness, fatigue, sleeplessness, increased headaches, mood swings, etc.
Gain control where you can. A leader’s job includes stressful forces beyond your control.
Balance your lifestyle. Leaders who feel like victims are often perfectionists, idealists, or workaholics.
Allow at least 15 minutes a day to reflect on the big picture and revise priorities according to it.
Do what you love, or get career counseling.
Examine your job. Focus on your strengths and manage your weaknesses.
Renew a relationship with a mentor. Ask, “Who are my teachers? Who is the first person I’d call for leadership advice?”
Challenge yourself to get out of your comfort zone. Pursue a non-leadership position in a community organization or undertake a new learning experience.
Pick a personal board of directors. Who would you select to sit on an “advisory team” for your personal life, work and leadership?
Quit doing something. Busy leaders tend to overcommit themselves. Saying no will reduce your stress and give you back your sense of control.
Think about your friendships. When did you last ask someone how he was doing and stopped long enough to hear the answer?
Continually ask the big question, “Why do I get up in the morning?”
Review this week’s schedule. We’re only as good as the commitments on our calendars. How we spend out time defines how we live and lead.
Actually practice the stress management techniques you know.
How healthy are you? Do you have the energy you need to last through the race? Schedule a physical checkup soon.
Lighten up. Re-find your smile if you’ve lost it.

Most Common Mistakes Made By New Leaders

Failing to take responsibility for what happens.
Failing to make the mission the top priority.
Failing to convince employees that you care.
Failing to convince employees what they do contributes to the accomplishment of the mission.
Talking negatively about the previous administration.
Assuming that you have one or more “problem employees” who will need to be dealt with before you can be successful.
Failing to listen.
Bringing a preset agenda to the job.
Assuming staff will not be supportive.
Not meeting with local legislators and community leaders on a regular basis.
Making major decisions too quickly or too slowly.
Not making time to learn about the unit, its history, and the people before making changes.
Failure to communicate the vision.