Modern leadership styles in the changing world

Embrace change, but not for change's sake. Begin to plan your own succession as soon as you take up your new post, and in this regard, ensure that the only promises you ever make are those that you can guarantee to deliver.

Leadership behaviour

Leadership skills are based on leadership behaviour. Skills alone do not make leaders - style and behaviour do. If you are interested in leadership training and development - start with leadership behaviour. The growing awareness and demand for idealist principles in leadership are increasing the emphasis on business ethics, corporate responsibility, emotional maturity, personal integrity, and what is popularly now known as the 'triple bottom line'. For many people (staff, customers, suppliers, investors, commentators, visionaries, etc) these are becoming the most significant areas of attitude/behaviour/appreciation required in modern business and organizational leaders. 3BL (triple bottom line - profit, people, planet) also provides an excellent multi-dimensional framework for explaining, developing and assessing leadership potential and capability, and also links strongly with psychology aspects if for instance psychometrics (personality testing) features in leadership selection and development methods. Adaptability and vision - as might be demonstrated via project development scenarios or tasks - especially involving modern communications and knowledge technologies - are also critical for certain leadership roles, and provide unlimited scope for leadership development processes, methods and activities.

Cultural diversity is another topical and very relevant area requiring leadership involvement, if not mastery. Large organisations particularly must recognize that the market-place, in terms of staff, customers and suppliers, is truly global now, and leaders must be able to function and appreciate and adapt to all aspects of cultural diversification.

A leader who fails to relate culturally well and widely and openly inevitably condemns the entire organization to adopt the same narrow focus and bias exhibited by the leader. People who strive for these things generally come to be regarded and respected as a leader by their people:

* Integrity - the most important requirement; without it everything else is for nothing.

* Having an effective appreciation and approach towards corporate responsibility, so that the need to make profit is balanced with wider social and environmental responsibilities.

* Being very grown-up - never getting emotionally negative with people - no shouting or ranting, even if you feel very upset or angry.

* Leading by example - always be seen to be working harder and more determinedly than anyone else.

* Helping alongside your people when they need it.

* Fairness - treating everyone equally and on merit.

* Being firm and clear in dealing with bad or unethical behaviour.

* Listening to and really understanding people, and show them that you understand.

* Always taking the responsibility and blame for your people's mistakes.

* Always giving your people the credit for your successes.

* Never self-promoting.

* Backing-up and supporting your people.

* Being decisive - even if the decision is to delegate or do nothing if appropriate - but be seen to be making fair and balanced decisions.

* Asking for people's views, but remain neutral and objective.

* Being honest but sensitive in the way that you give bad news or criticism.

* Always doing what you say you will do - keeping your promises.

* Working hard to become expert at what you do technically, and at understanding your people's technical abilities and challenges.

* Encouraging your people to grow, to learn and to take on as much as they want to, at a pace they can handle.

* Always accentuating the positive.

* Smiling and encouraging others to be happy and enjoy themselves.

* Relaxing - breaking down the barriers and the leadership awe - and giving your people and yourself time to get to know and respect each other.

* Taking notes and keeping good records.

* Planning and prioritizing.

* Managing your time well and helping others to do so too.

* Involving your people in your thinking and especially in managing change.

* Reading good books and taking advice from good people, to help develop your own understanding of yourself, and particularly of other people's weaknesses.

* Achieve the company tasks and objectives, while maintaining your integrity, the trust of your people, are a balancing the corporate aims with the needs of the world beyond.

Leadership development and modern leadership development

Today's Leaders face new and fundamentally more complex challenges than they did 15 years ago. Increasingly, they're required to lead and unite groups of people from three generations with genuinely different needs, and widely differing expectations of their leader. They need to understand how to navigate this unfamiliar terrain. And it is clearer than ever that the established and familiar leadership models and approaches that are still being applied across organisations are becoming increasingly ineffective and irrelevant. Leaders need to urgently connect with the modern leadership agenda.

The Challenge is to connect established leaders with the latest thinking on successful leadership and provide them with skills, knowledge and confidence to apply the benefits of modern leadership to their organization.

To be continued