Verden ViewPoint: Leadership Issue

This quarter’s issue focuses on Leadership. Susanne wrote a brief contemplation for the magazine, posted below. What do you think Leadership is (or isn’t)?

Leadership means different things to different people. Some people believe you have to be born with it, with certain “leader-like” qualities, while others say it can be nurtured (such as Dr. Scott Schams’ view in Take A Hike).

Personally, I think you need a bit of both. Being emotionally intelligent and listening to others is key to creating connections, but if you fall short on the delivery, you are likely to viewed as a “well-intentioned manager” but nothing more. If you don’t take the time to learn how to make real connections, you’re not practicing strong leadership. I believe that in order to lead effectively, you must be able to both connect and inspire people and you must also lead by example.

Even less extroverted personalities can make fine leaders if they are able to push themselves to step out in front and lead the pack. When we look to our public leaders today we see very few who embody these qualities: very few, but not none. Over the past two months I have watched with fascination as Justin Trudeau has stepped into his new role as Canada’s Prime Minister, with dignity, empathy and a real ability to connect.

From my perspective, those are the qualities that today’s leaders need to bring to the table — in business, in politics and in our home life. How do you define leadership? Leave us a comment below . . .

You can read the magazine here: www.VerdenViewpoint.com