Leadership Development in the New Millennium
Today's supervisors and managers are very different from those of the past. They recognize that they must be responsible for their own leadership development; they must take responsibility for their own careers. They understand that if they don't, they may find themselves out of a job. . . even if they were planning to take that leadership development program -- when they got around to it.
Wise employers will support the leadership development of their people, particularly their star performers, even through poor economic cycles because they know that this investment will pay off in employees who feel bonded to their organizations. And an investment in leadership development most often reaps impressive rewards for the company.
What's Different?
Today's leaders must be prepared to be more collaborative, more supportive, more nurturing of their people. While this shift may be comfortable for some women, who were acculturated to build and maintain relationships, it's much less comfortable for the old-style, authoritarian male supervisors and managers who still cling to the "my-way-or-the-highway" style of leadership. They are reluctant to change and helping them with leadership development seems to be a recipe for frustration.
At the same time, today's frontline workers want to be involved and even engaged in the process of making things better. Leadership development involves being sensitive to people's needs and demonstrating the 12 Elements of Excelling Leadership:
- Sense of Direction
- Clarity of Expectations
- Results-Oriented Leadership
- Initiative, Responsibility, Accountability
- Know Your People
- Inspiration and Support
- Involvement
- Feedback and Recognition
- Managing Priorities and Time
- Effective Communications
- Building Competence, Confidence, and Growth
- Commitment
Leadership development in the new millennium is not rocket science, but it does take effort, energy, and resources.
