Developing tomorrow's leaders today
Many executives of today speak of the significant economic, technological and social changes that affect the way in which we work, live, play, govern and educate.
We also speak about the growing pace of change. Because of the dynamics of the market in which we operate, one area that deserves greater attention is leadership.
More specifically: How effective are you as a leader, and what do you need to do today to develop successful leaders for the sake of tomorrow?
Leadership is a vital component of bringing out the best in people and their organizations. Good leaders inspire others to achieve their full potential.
Not only do they have a vision, moreover, they can guide people toward that vision.
In addition, today's most effective leaders have the courage to execute their vision and have a track record of making the right decisions.
And when leaders adhere to their principles and make decisions with integrity, the example they set through their leadership tends to flow through the rest of the organization.
Tomorrow's leaders -- whether in business, government or academia -- will likely retain these core traits. But given the intensity of the market changes we face (globalization and the electronic economy, to name just two), additional leadership will be needed now as ever before.
Based on our research, as well as on the insights we have gained by working with some of the best minds in this discipline, a core set of behaviors that encourage effective leadership has emerged.
They cover:
* Visionary/innovative, which means that a future leader must have the foresight, imagination and ability to conceive of things differently from how he or she does today,
* Calculated risk-taking, where one should know the right time to change direction -- both for individuals and organizations,
* Influencing/motivating/inspiring, meaning that a future leader should have self-awareness and integrity, and yet be able to make an emotional connection with others.
* Embracing continuous change, in which one must be versatile, while maintaining a core orientation. He or she should also be agile, responsive and willing to experiment, especially in times of turbulent change.
* Collaboration/teaming, where a leader must be able to draw power from others by valuing individuality and diversity, and to always think interdependently.
It is clear that one person cannot embody all of these characteristics. Rather, tomorrow's successful leaders will build teams around them to complement and leverage their strengths.
Ultimately, a leader's greatest responsibility is to lead others to their full potential.
To do that within the context of more complex and diverse organizations, effectual leaders will draw upon these new behaviors. They will also continue to emphasize performance, while recognizing individual needs and capabilities.
Finally, to reflect changing values of the workforce, future leaders will also need to make a commitment to a greater degree of emotional bonding among employees. --JP