Seven Principles of Leadership

The good folks over at Management-Issues, offers this, from the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development's Effective Leadership Development Guide:

1. Firms need to have a strategy for leadership development in place, one that looks at what leadership skills are required and why.
2. Organizations also need to select managers with the potential to become good leaders and fulfill the leadership skills required.
3. They need to give them the right training to help managers to gain skills and become good leaders.
4. There needs to be a clear career development policy in place, as leadership requirements will vary depending on the task and role.
5. Line managers need to act as leadership mentors, with more experienced managers who have learnt through their mistakes helping by advising new managers
6. There needs to be self-development, ensuring managers learn from their actions through reflection and use of mentors
7. Organizations need to understand what is required from leaders and then put it into practice themselves.

BOTTOMLINE: Success depends on leadership shown at every level in an organization, therefore employers must pay careful attention when selecting and training their leaders. "The secret to becoming a successful leader is recognizing the greatness that lies in others."