It is funny how there are some things in life which you take for granted until suddenly something happens and they swim into an entirely new light. Take the ’12 days of Christmas’ for example. When we sing it, we tend to concentrate more on not losing our place than on the words themselves so it was only when reading it through the other day that it struck me how much of a leader the ‘true love’ of the song really is.
There they sit in the background of the tale sending all of these ‘gifts’ and, seemingly without supervision, from the drummers drumming to the partridge in the pear tree everything and everyone does exactly what is expected of them. By the time it gets to the twelfth day, hundreds of people and birds have graced the recipient’s portal and yet not one has put a foot out of place. And in a nutshell that is the mark of a true leader.
The sender has modelled the way, defining how they want their gifts to be sent and in what order. They have inspired and trained those taking part to deliver of their best and have then set their gifts on their way, empowering them and trusting them to play their part as expected. As the lords leap, the maids milk and the pipers and drummers make music the whole vision is translated into a powerful message which the recipient simply can’t ignore.
How much training this invisible person has had in the art of leadership is something which we will never know but that they possess great leadership qualities is beyond doubt. We suspect that they must have had some measure of training though to be as assured as they are at empowering others to translate their vision. And this is a strong message for all. No matter how much of a natural leader someone is, they can still benefit from leadership training and development.
Sadly, in some organisations training stops well before leadership levels are reached. In those organisations it is assumed that leaders are naturally gifted, that they have reached their position as of right and that therefore they must know how to act in the role. But leadership is a journey not a destination and if leaders are to create the vision, to encourage, to inspire and to enable then they have to be given the right tools with which to work. These include developing an understanding of self as the basis for building a leadership style which will draw others forward to greatness.
As we move together into 2015 let us resolve make the new year one of training for all including our leaders. Then we will truly be in a strong position to create lasting products and services which resonate with the people who matter most to us, our customers. If you’d like to learn more about leadership development and The Leadership Challenge then feel free to get in touch at www.questleadershipdevelopment.com.
