Editor’s note

There is no one skill that makes someone a great leader. Leadership calls for a collection of skills across a broad spectrum. What makes leadership so complex is that the mix of skills that constitutes great leadership may vary by role and organizations. They may also vary individually across leaders.  You must understand and meet expectations across a wide range of stakeholders. What does great leadership mean within your organization? What does it mean to your boss? What does it mean to those you lead?
 

Timothy J. Tobin’s article, Elevate Your Leadership, throws more light on this topic. According to him, it is vital to begin with leadership alignment before pursuing leadership development and he classifies leadership into four leadership skill zones. There are countless ways to master the four leadership skill zones and elevate your leadership. Read the article for a few recommendations.
 
Traditional management styles may include focusing solely on the bottom line, which establishes a lack of connection and employee development, which may lead to only annual performance reviews. To increase inclusion and engagement, leadership styles have begun to transform to increase manager-employee connection, but more importantly, to a more empathetic leadership model – rather than pure “bottom line” management. Read Carol Fitzgerald Tyler’s article, The Rise Of Empathetic Leadership, to know more.
 
Culture is a common buzzword these days. Many articles tout the importance of a good culture. There are even awards that celebrate companies where employees love to work. Experts talk about defining, transforming, and fixing your culture. But how do you even know if your company’s culture needs help? Or what aspects to fix if it has some cracks? Read Lisa Aldisert’s article, Does Your Culture Need Help? for more insights.
 
While most awake and aware leaders say they want a constructive corporate culture, many are uncertain of what it really takes to shape it. Consequently, these executives and managers unintentionally lead their people toward the fatal, destructive side of the culture coin. They do this by buying into five double-edged sword philosophies. To know more about the barriers to high performance, read Magi Graziano’s article, 5 Double-Edged Sword Philosophies That Lead To Destructive Company Culture.

This is just a sneak peek into what we have in this edition of Leadership Excellence. We hope you enjoy reading all articles and look forward to hearing from you!
 
Last but not least, we believe that there is no better way to connect with people than by sharing your leadership story. If you have one, send it to us and don’t forget to email us your feedback.  Continue leading the way for more leaders!
 
Happy Reading!
 

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