| All of us are born with one trait in common: | | | | development is a lifetime thing - it doesn't stop |
| potential. Of course there are many potentials, but | | | | when one reaches a goal or a plateau. And |
| the key in dealing with potential is the stimulus and | | | | leaders are on the lookout for ways to develop |
| environment that brings it out. In this way, you | | | | at all times. |
| can look at all of the members of your | | | | We're all born with potential - and we can all |
| organization as potential leaders. It's your job to | | | | develop the traits of leadership. That's where you |
| provide the stimulus and environment that enables | | | | come in. You must create an environment that |
| leaders' potential. | | | | encourages leaders to be made, otherwise your |
| First, let's talk about leadership traits or | | | | leaders will rot on the vine or seek out |
| characteristics. There are many schools of | | | | environments that are conducive to their |
| thought on which traits make the best leaders, | | | | development. How can you provide the right |
| but the most common traits tend to make sense. | | | | environment and the right stimulus to "make" |
| One trait is a sense of adventure or exploration - | | | | leaders? |
| that's not to say that each person has to be a Sir | | | | There are many ways to encourage a |
| Edmund Hilary. It means that leaders seek out the | | | | leader-based and entrepreneurial environment. |
| answers in their environment, whether it's Arctic | | | | First, you must constantly encourage people to |
| exploration or the assembly line in a manufacturing | | | | take action. Remember that speaking out is a |
| company. Not only is there an urge to explore, | | | | leadership characteristic - your encouragement will |
| but there's also a need or desire to innovate the | | | | allow people to challenge the status quo, innovate |
| findings. So leaders strive to determine why things | | | | old ways of doing things, and to persuade you |
| work, but also want to improve them, to make | | | | and others to follow them. In the same vein, you |
| them different, to make them new. Leaders must | | | | must persist with ideas that come to you. When |
| have an ability to influence through persuasion - | | | | people begin speaking out, insist that they |
| this doesn't necessarily mean that each person will | | | | champion the idea. When the idea gets to your |
| have a charismatic, verbal approach to persuasion, | | | | level, you must persist as well. What about |
| it just means that each leader, in his or her own | | | | failure? The culture you create should tolerate |
| way, will be able to influence people. | | | | failure - not reward it, but tolerate it. That is to |
| Another common characteristic to leaders is the | | | | say, failure causes people to analyze the situation |
| courage to speak out - if leaders see through | | | | and fix the mistake. When innovation occurs, |
| their exploration that things could be different, | | | | reward and promote the innovators. Many |
| they are going to say something about it instead | | | | organizations fall into the trap of promoting |
| of sitting on that bit of information. Leaders also | | | | because of time served or functional knowledge. |
| have a strong belief and enthusiasm in themselves | | | | If you are going to set up an environment that |
| and what they and their organizations are doing. | | | | promotes leadership, you must promote the ones |
| These are not superhuman traits and | | | | who speak out and make change - the ones who |
| characteristics. These are also not characteristics | | | | innovate. |
| that one is born with or not - for example, if you | | | | An interesting, and sometimes difficult, way to |
| grew up in an environment where risk-taking was | | | | promote the making of leaders is to allow the |
| considered foolish, you may not have a belief in | | | | "skunkworks". When Lockheed was developing |
| yourself as a risk taker. But, in the right | | | | some of its groundbreaking aircraft, such as the |
| environment, who knows what your capabilities | | | | P-38 and the U2, the "skunkworks" was an |
| are? | | | | unofficial group that was pretty much free of red |
| So we've seen that leadership characteristics are | | | | tape and free to work on secret projects. |
| most likely inherent and can be developed in the | | | | Management did not intervene as innovators got |
| right environment. But how do we learn | | | | together under the radar to work on successful |
| leadership? First of all, we learn leadership through | | | | projects. How does this apply to you? Be aware |
| observation and emulation. A potential leader will | | | | that innovators will always be on the lookout for |
| be on the constant lookout for someone to | | | | other innovators - don't try to sanction or |
| emulate - and it's your responsibility to lead the | | | | sponsor every team. In this environment, the |
| way. Some leaders learn through trial and error - | | | | "skunkworks" will allow leaders and potential |
| think about the number of well-known inventors, | | | | leaders to speak out, try new things, and look for |
| authors, and even actors who have been | | | | new ways to innovate. Finally, you can provide an |
| rejected over and over again. With each rejection, | | | | environment that promotes informality, both |
| these leaders adjusted something about their | | | | physically and emotionally. Try to knock down |
| approach. Leaders learn through taking risks - | | | | some of the old hierarchies that kept people from |
| potential leaders have already taken the time to | | | | communicating - at the same time, make sure |
| examine their surroundings and look for ways to | | | | your physical space encourages hallway meetings, |
| innovate. Taking the risk means a leader will | | | | collaboration, and team interaction. |
| speak out, persuade, or just make the change | | | | Leaders are definitely made - not born. But the |
| that leads to innovation. Finally, leaders learn | | | | environment will determine whether potential |
| through constant self-development. Leaders and | | | | leaders can develop their talents - and it's your |
| potential leaders know that learning and | | | | responsibility to provide it. |