What is Leadership?

When discussing leaders and leadership, it’s a good idea to be clear about definitions.

• On Amazon there are 17,623 results when you search for ‘leadership’
• On Google, there are 267 million results or more when you put the word ‘leadership’ in the search bar

Combine that with the millions spent annually by would-be leaders on leadership development courses, and I think we can argue that leadership is seen as important.

But leadership is hard to define it in a way that is satisfactory to everyone and the concept of leadership appears elusive.

So I’m putting together a few posts on how to navigate leadership in a turbulent world. If you follow me over the next weeks, you will hopefully see some insights from the front lines as to what the challenges are 

So, what does the leader of the future look like?

Harrumph! Where do you even start with such a question? 

Well, much easier than you think: the starting point is actually what sort of person you are. Here's Warren Bennis on this:
- "the process of becoming a leader is the same process that makes a person a healthy, integrated, normal human being".

This starting point means that we must work harder on ourselves than on our jobs to develop our capacities, capabilities, credibility and confidence. We must work on our sense of self, our emotional intelligence, ability to relate and the scope of our thinking.

This the only way that you can really begin to develop the base characteristics of any leader:

• Have a clear and compelling vision
• Inspiring trust and commitment,
• Choosing a team (hint - it's a relationship, emphasis on choosing, and re-choosing)
• Being in tune with your team, your customers and your stakeholders
• Make change happen rather than just being an agent of change
  
  

Harthill, we have worked with thousands of current leaders and ‘soon-to-be’ leaders over the last 25 years. With so much experience, you start to notice a few things - and here is the most important: 

The right leadership characteristics ONLY come when you have worked on your character, when you have come to the realisation that the answers are not ‘out there’ but ‘in here’.

Yes, it's hard work, and yes, it means asking tough questions. That's the reality we see from engaging with the best leaders day-in day-out. 

Working on your character is an ongoing process, so individual practitioners of the art of leadership will always be works-in-progress that are never finished.

Are you working on your character every day?