Leadership and management theories and frameworks abound. What is the best way for you to make sense of it all and apply these principles in manner which helps you achieve results, cultivate a sense of professional satisfaction and reward for you as a leader, and engender a culture and attitude from your staff which is best aligned with continued future success?
The Challenges of Leadership Today
The Leadership Challenge today exists within a landscape which encompasses a Changing World; A Changing Workplace; and a Changing Mindset.
Leadership in today’s context demands –
- A global focus
- An ability to adjust leadership and managerial style to suit a diverse workforce (i.e. there are now three generations of employees in the workforce)
- A focus on human optimisation, teams and performance
- An imperative to offer workplace flexibility
- A need to foster and cultivate innovation and creativity
- An ability to understand, align and balance stakeholder needs
- Careful and insightful performance management and career development
In addition to the commercial, strategic, financial, economic, political and interpersonal demands, Leaders are also likely to face personal challenges in their roles. Leadership by nature is often lonely, isolating and fraught with various risks. The old adage – ‘ Leadership requires the courage and conviction to set off alone in a particular direction, in the hope that enough has been done to encourage others to follow’.
From a personal perspective, Leaders are required to –
- “Step out from the herd”
- Do something to make a positive difference
- Do something differently (to how others may do it, or how they may have done it before)
- Pursue innovation
- Step beyond their comfort zone
- Encourage others beyond their comfort zone
- Showing courage and conviction
- Take personal responsibility
- Provide a role model for others.
The support of a psychologist with experience in this field can be exceptionally helpful in providing the self insight, support, frameworks and strategies to enable you to excel and embrace your own leadership challenge.