Leading Factors in Leadership

I woke up in bed last night thinking about some leadership challenges I've been facing in work recently and wondering which key factors are most significant. A number of words came to mind that I made mental note of, noticing how they seem to have a kind of balancing effect on each other. The first couple were vision and humility, the second were courage and wisdom, the third were passion and integrity. I pictured these words forming a circle with the word love in the centre - the relational imperative and bond that holds all things together. I've decided to test how well my own leadership reflects these key qualities by seeking God's perspective in quiet prayer and asking colleagues and other stakeholders for honest feedback. I may do this by creating a conversational checklist: 'In my day to day leadership practice, how well do I reflect and demonstrate...?' The journey of learning continues.

Quality People

I did some training on performance management and development recently and was asked what kind of qualities we as leaders should be looking for in people we want to attract, recruit, develop and retain. Four qualities come to mind immediately. The first is character. By character I mean ethical values that manifest themselves in behaviour. The second is talent. By talent I mean attitude and capability. The third is engagement. By engagement I mean passion and commitment. The fourth is fit. By fit I mean fit with desired role and culture. In my experience, it's a combination of these critical qualities that makes all the difference. Modelling them as leaders is critical too. If we practice what we preach, or at least try to do so with genuine openness and humility, we will inspire those same qualities in those whom we lead.