The Truth About Leadership

Leadership is a critically important responsibility for every member of every organization. Whether you are leading an army, a team, an organization or merely yourself, the elements of leadership “responsibility” are congruent and consistent.

 

In spite of the inaccurate assertion which is often bantered about, authentic leaders are developed, not born. You need only consider someone that you believe to be a great leader and then identify exactly what it is that makes them a great leader. What are the attributes, characteristics and qualities that you clearly see in this leader?

 

Upon closer examination, you will quickly come to the realization that every one of the characteristics which you identified can in fact be “developed”. If you view these same characteristics from another perspective, you will also observe that each of these characteristics are related to “attitudes”.

 

Given that each individual is unique in the cosmos and has been gifted with differing talents, abilities and temperaments, they simply won’t get very far in life or business if they don’t properly develop the talents and abilities with which they have been endowed. As well, the same principle holds true for your organization.

 

Many a person who was labeled as a natural talent, the next super star or a born leader have been surpassed time and time again by individuals who had a lesser degree of ability. The critical difference is that these individuals made the conscious choice to make the absolute best of what ability they did possess, fully develop their potential and then proceed to out work everyone else.

 

The point that I am making is this… That even the most gifted leader, at any level, will not reach his or her “optimal” capacity as an authentic leader unless they intently focus their attention toward the development of their strengths and the shoring up of their weaknesses. Both of these actions are essential to your quest to develop forward individually and organizationally.

 

If you, your people and your organization are going to become worth more tomorrow than you were yesterday, then the process of enriching your personal, professional and organizational “value” must be on purpose.

 

In the respective arenas of business, industry, government and life… You must invariably become a competent leader of self as a prerequisite to becoming a formal leader of others.

 

The Leadership Academy… Changing the way organizations and people work, perform and live.

 

Copyright © 2014 Developing Forward | Thomas H. Swank, CBC | All Rights Reserved.