Leadership Development

Someone Taking Charge Is Not Enough – Leadership Development

“Leadership” has become one of today's buzz words, and rightly so. Leadership development must logically follow, especially in fast paced times when growth is an essential component of success, both personal and professional.

One may describe leadership as the ability to enlist the support of a group towards achieving a common goal.
Since men first gathered in groups, at least one of their numbers has emerged as a leader. Was this the strongest, best of hearing, or keenest tracker of animals? What made this leader develop and emerge?

It thus follows that a potential leader should be assessed prior to commencing a leadership development programme. There are three defined categories, which are components of leadership - intrapersonal, interpersonal and professional. Effective, holistic leadership development requires development in all three.

Intrapersonal Leadership

First, the leader or potential leader needs to be assessed in order to establish who they are and where they currently find themselves. This includes their physical, mental, emotional and spiritual aspects, and their individual temperament and personality. Each individual person experiences and reacts differently to problems.

Each of these areas has various aspects to be explored before commencing a leadership development course. Some of these include learning and thinking style, self knowledge, emotional maturity, how the individual copes with stress, personal values and how they perceive the meaningfulness of their life.

Interpersonal Leadership Development

This assessment area deals with how the individual interacts with others, including whether they are predominantly left or right brained, degree of empathy, integrity and ability to listen effectively. These are just a few aspects to be explored and assessed.

Professional Leadership

Assessment in this area is also extensive, particularly pertaining to work and career. Personal management and leadership styles, team interaction, career preferences and individual communication style are some of the key investigations. In the workplace, succession planning includes more leadership development (of a successor).

The leader develops and grows individual focus, life purpose, and responsibility and sets effective goals. Fulfilment, balance and inner peace and harmony are generally the ultimate goal for most effective leaders. On the journey to this broad self fulfilment, many invaluable goals are met; the leader emerges as the best they can be.

All of these assessments guide the individual to clearer self knowledge of their character, current skills and future goals in all three aspects of leadership. In depth self discovery effectively enables the leader to be the most active and willing participant in their own leadership development. Informed decisions are their own.

A quality leadership development programme will support the leader on their journey and in required behavioural changes to optimize their potential in every area of life.