<div class="page large-header article bird sans pid_4948 page-4948"> <div class="background"> </div> <article> <header> <div class="container"> <h1> My 8 Conclusions on Leadership </h1> <div class="summary"> <p> Leadership is a concept that everyone is familiar with and is a word that everyone uses as part of their everyday language. So what is it? </p> </div> <p class="byline">Anne Phillipson, Programme Director, William J Clinton Leadership Institute</p> </div><!--container--> </header> <section> <div class="container"> <p><img src="/uploads/554b17f1a414c.jpg" rel="width: 244px; height: 162.234042553192px; float: right; margin: 0px 0px 10px 10px;" alt="" style="width: 244px; height: 162.234042553192px; float: right; margin: 0px 0px 10px 10px;"></p><p>Leadership means different things to different people, and is a term thrown around in all kinds of contexts. Sometimes it's interchanged with the word 'management', sometimes it refers to people at the top of an organisation to distinguish them from the rest of the pyramid, and sometimes it's used disparagingly after a fallout – 'a total lack of leadership'.</p><p>If you find yourself confused, you may decide to go do a bit of reading on the topic to clarify the matter in your own mind. So you go to your favourite online bookseller and search for books under 'leadership', only to discover there are 101,798 titles currently available. Hmm, not much clarity there.</p><p>You might then look to people recognised as leaders to see what traits they have in common. Only there isn't an archetype you can discern from the various leaders you admire. No wonder there is such confusion about what leadership is!</p><p>When we created the Leadership Institute we were faced with this same dilemma. How would we define leadership? What competency model would we endorse? How could we help develop leaders without having an agreed model of leadership that ran like a spine through all our programmes?</p><p>After much research and debate we came to these conclusions:</p> <ul><li>Leadership is a <b>mindset </b>and attitude, not a position</li> <li>Leadership is about <b>what you do</b> and <b>who you are</b>, it's not a job title</li> <li>Leadership is <b>dispersed.</b> Anyone in any position in an organisation can <b>choose</b> to be a leader if they have a <b>vision</b> for the future, if they <b>engage</b> people in getting excited about working toward creating that future, and they make happen what wouldn't otherwise happen had they not decided it was important. </li> <li>Leaders are <b>authentic</b>. Rather than trying to form themselves into a particular mould, leaders recognise their unique strengths, life stories, values, experiences, preferences and gifts that make them who them who they are, and then use that self-awareness to be their best self. They don't try to imitate or copy someone else. </li> <li>Leaders<b> learn</b>. They work to improve themselves through reflection, feedback, and self-development but not to become someone other than who they already are; the best version of themselves.</li> <li>Leaders <b>model </b>the way. They set an example through their authentic leadership that others find inspiring.</li> <li>Leaders <b>challenge</b> the status quo. Challenge is the crucible of leadership. They are constantly scanning the environment to anticipate change, and then proactively adapt themselves and those around them. They look to do things better, and challenge their teams to innovate and improve.</li> <li>Leaders are <b>ambidextrous.</b> They are skilled at doing two things at once. They zoom in and out; looking at the detail and the big picture, managing today while shaping tomorrow, and challenging while supporting people around them. </li></ul> <p>The good news in all of this is that you don't have to wait to be a leader! You don't have to have a personality transplant or a promotion or a degree or change organisations. You can lead now. From where you are. Be who you are. And you can start today.</p><p><a href="http://www.leadershipinstitute.co.uk/schools/LeadershipInstitute/OpenProgrammes/" target="_blank">Start your leadership journey with Queen's today and click here</a><br></p> </div><!--container--> </section> </article> </div><!-- page-->
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Leadership Quarterly

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