www.BPODigest.com i-Vortal

Leadership....

Jonathan Byrnes writes about The Essence of Leadership in HBS Working Knowledge.

Jonathan defines Leaders as "people who leave their footprints in their areas of passion."

Jonathan continues:

Great leaders have to be ambidextrous. On the one hand, they have to be able to execute capably within the current business paradigm, "the way we do business." On the other hand, they must be able to reflect on the current paradigm, find ways to fundamentally improve it, and manage the large-scale change to a successful conclusion.

Can you be a good leader without being a good manager? In my experience, the best leaders are also great managers, and the best managers have strong leadership capabilities. To be successful, you must have both a passion for improving your organization and the capability to drive your efforts through to completion.

It certainly is possible to team someone who likes to change things with someone who prefers to manage stability. In fact, the most effective teams have one person who constantly pushes the limits and another who constantly ensures that the organization doesn't blow up. The former winds up going slower than he or she would like to, the latter winds up going faster than is comfortable, and the compromise is great for the company.

This article is a must read for everybody who thinks they are leader or who wants to be a leader or who is already a leader.

I have a great passion for things that I do at work. However, I am going to see how I can apply the leadership tips given in this article at my work.