Leadership is nothing more than the ability to create followers.
The first time I heard this definition of leadership, I was surprised. Beyond all the grand speeches and differing opinions about what leadership truly is, it can be summed up as follows: if you have people willing to follow you no matter the challenges, you are a leader with charisma and true leadership. If, on the other hand, it’s just a fancy title on your business card, you are far from being a real leader.
This definition allows us to work through a series of components that together form what we call leadership.
In reality, leadership does not exist as a physical entity — you can’t find a kilo of leadership in the refrigerator or hear about someone tripping over a piece of leadership on the sidewalk.
To develop leadership, we must break down the concept and understand that there are two main axes to implement in order to create it. It’s crucial to grasp the importance of these axes to make the best use of them.
In the table below, the left column lists the aspects of leadership that we must recognize and consider essential to possess leadership. The right column presents the specific actions to take in order to bring each component to life.
| Knowing How to Be (y-axis) | Know-how (x axis) |
|---|---|
|
Believe, give value, assign meaningful significance, and adopt the attitude of… |
Know how to put into practice the attitude that stems from self-awareness. |
|
Communication: believe that communication is the foundation of both personal and corporate success. |
Communicate with everyone at all levels, adapting the quality of language as needed. |
|
Team Building: believe that team building is an essential condition. |
Know how to practice and teach team building. |
|
Teamwork: believe that teamwork is necessary. |
Know how to work effectively in a group. |
|
Vision: believe that having a vision is important. |
Know how to create a vision that people are willing to embrace. |
|
Motivation: believe that motivation is important. |
Know how to create motivation regardless of the subject. |
|
Feedback: believe that receiving feedback is necessary. |
Know how to receive and give feedback. |
|
Collaboration: believe in the necessity of collaborating with others. |
Know how to create collaboration. |
|
Innovation and Change: believe that innovation and change, regardless of the context, are the foundation of progress. |
Know how to encourage and organize processes of innovation and change. |
|
Risk Management: believe that taking risks is necessary. |
Know how to take risks. |
|
Resilience: value resilience. |
Know how to trigger resilience in oneself and in others. |
|
Continuous Learning: believe in lifelong learning. |
Know how to organize and implement continuous learning for oneself and for others. |
When I work on leadership development with managers, some are surprised to discover that there are still many elements to integrate into their approach and that they must absolutely learn how to implement them.
Some managers already have a solid foundation in terms of mindset and the ability to put these concepts into practice.
However, many require personalized support through individual coaching sessions and training programs.
It’s a medium- to long-term investment, but an essential one if we want to prepare the leaders of tomorrow — those you can, or wish to, become a part of.
When I work on developing leadership in managers, some are surprised to realize that there are several components to integrate — not only mentally, but also in how they’re put into action.
Some managers already have a good foundation, with a certain level of integration in their mindset and the ability to apply these components effectively.
However, most require individual support through dedicated coaching and training sessions.
It’s a medium- to long-term investment, but an essential one if we truly want to prepare the leaders of tomorrow.
Mario Mason
