How do you define leadership and why is it important? For us leadership is a set of behaviors that, in a given context, align an organization, foster execution and ensure organizational renewal and success. They are enabled by relevant skills and mindsets, that can be trained and developed.

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Leadership comes alive in the behaviors that are used, felt and observed across an organization, and the defined behaviors should be linked to each organization's values.

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Leaders must be able to create motivation, alignment and execution as well as being able to lead the organization and the employees through the different faces of change.

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Leadership development initiatives must help leaders forge relevant on-the-job skills and behaviors. As said by management authority Henry Mintzberg , “Leadership, like swimming, cannot be learned by reading about it.”

 

A leader’s ability to demonstrate effective leadership should reflect relevant skills obtained by real-life experience. A leader should be able to strong storytelling, excellent written and verbal communication, influencing skills, and the ability to anticipate and seize pivotal moments.

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Leaders must develop the right mindsets based on self-reflection and self-awareness. Often, underlying mindsets – including needs, fears and core beliefs – are what drive a leader’s behavior in a situation. These underlying, instinctive behaviors are usually the ones that show up when a leader is under pressure or stress, that is, in situations when you have to perform your best.