The capability of an organization's leadership
to successfully manage and inspire its work force is increasingly
recognized as the single most important key to creating a high
performing organization. Without effective leadership, everything
else suffers. Leadership behavior, by its very nature, has a direct
impact on what employees feel and do. In turn, employee behavior
and attitudes have a substantial impact on customer behavior and
bottom line business performance.
Many organizations treat leadership as something that is inherent
in the individual. That is, that it cannot be developed, shaped,
or even measured. These organizations "manage" their
leadership talent through haphazard selection and promotion of
individuals to the management ranks. Too often, candidates are
selected based on the competencies they demonstrated in their
existing job, not the necessary management and leadership competencies
required to coach, guide, and inspire employees.
Ensuring that your organization's leadership is fulfilling its
potential is an daunting task. Most progressive companies know
that there is no one quick solution to enhancing leadership effectiveness.
Instead, they view leadership effectiveness as something to be
managed - through succession
planning to ensure a steady flow of leadership talent, through
assessment programs (such
as multi-source assessment
or assessment centers) to
identify leadership potential and expand existing skill sets,
and through performance management to monitor and track leadership
effectiveness efforts.