Follow the Leader

by Chellie Mejia, BSc.

In any market, in any industry, business leaders develop winning strategies, drive innovation forward to daunting new heights, and implement change within their organizations and fields.  My logical conclusion, then, is that a deeper understanding of leadership best practices in the corporate sphere can move me towards a more successful business future, right?  So, I took it upon myself to take a closer look at what some of the most effective leaders of our generation had in common.

One thing I noticed was that every company I looked at had an amazingly strong core.  The leaders and managers of these companies are strong, engaged, and committed to an aligned mandate and strategy.  Establishing a team that works cohesively while playing on each other’s individual strengths has allowed them to focus on business issues and push their agendas forward as almost impenetrable units.  I imagine the same mindset would work in a smaller organization like my own: a smaller team, but the principle stays the same.  If I can get my team aligned under the same vision, everyone will move in the same direction and everyone will be informed and excited about where we’re going.  That confidence is infectious and trickles down to middle management and support staff alike.

I also noted these companies’ commitment to continuous education targeting all levels of leadership.  Building a sustainable leadership pipeline means first understanding what each individual brings to the table and then providing for further development of that skill.  I’ve taken steps to implement this concept, and it’s been incredible to see individuals within the company slowly develop their full potential and even grow into other roles.  While a lot of what we’ve implemented is executed in-house with internal training programs, we’ve also started to take advantage of the vast selection of external leadership development programs offered within the city.  A culture that encourages development within the corporation is an important indicator of first-class leadership.

Everyone has a different motivation and a different definition of success.  My motivation is simple.  There are a lot of players on the board, but leaders are scarce, and I intend to be a leader.  From what I’ve learned through my quick review of business leaders today, understanding and developing the key competencies of a strong leadership personality is the first step in separating myself from the rest as a world-class business leader.

Image courtesy of Microsoft Office.