Leadership is one of those topics a little like exercise; everybody is told it is essential in their lives but there is a plethora of information that keeps changing in relation to what is the right way to do it, how long should it be done for and is there a one size fits all routine.
In a recently completed research article, I say recently completed as it took me seven years to complete it recently; I concluded that there is not a one size fits all leadership. What I am saying here is that there are different competencies and personality strengths required to enable effective leadership in different environments. Let me explain. Each individual person has an inherent awareness of where they would like to work and where they feel they just couldn’t do it. I personally have an extremely high regard for anyone who walks into a hospital to start their shift. The courage and fortitude that the nurses and cleaners and all staff face each day working with a never-ending cycle of ill people who are rarely positive and need a high degree of attention ‘now’, wins my praise every day. Having read that sentence it is possible that you are saying that is okay I could do that, or no way I could not face that either. This is the first fundamental principle of Leadership. Identifying the context or environment that you want to work in is the first stage to being effective. Working within a business where you are undertaking activities that are meaningful to you and that you enjoy and where can see the impact of your actions is the first fundamental aspect of leadership. To be effective in a business your personal strengths and those of the organisation, often referred to as the culture, need to align. When these are aligned you are on a solid foundation for your effective leadership journey.
This is the first on a series of columns where I will discuss Leadership. Next week I will challenge the myth that leadership is just from the top, the next level up, the supervisor or the boss.
Dr Brenda Jamnik is a specialist in business leadership with over 20 years executive coaching and building high performance teams. Email Brenda with your questions on Brenda@org-cd.com ; www.org-cd.com
