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One of the most important issues facing organizations of all sizes, types and industries is the shortfall in the capacity to lead. We have learned to manage tasks, achieve goals and measure almost everything. There are managerial systems and models of all kinds with which to measure outcomes, design processes and create dashboards and checklists. Leadership is different. Managing is about what is. Leading is about what is possible. Leading is, in part, the capacity and competency to see and seize opportunity – to create something that does not yet exist.
The Center for Intelligent Leadership offers an atypical approach to guiding leaders in their development, one that calls on understanding and practice and, also, demands depth and discipline. Outstanding leaders work to understand themselves and others, and to build conversational and relational skills to share visions and execute strategies. Great leaders believe in mastery and the practice of what they master. The offerings of The Center for Intelligent Leadership are designed to guide leaders on the path to Mastery of Leadership as a Lifelong Practice. Individuals and teams work to grow as leaders and to develop great leaders within their organization. Organizations work to create a Leadership as a Lifelong Practice culture.
Read a book on leadership and somewhere in the book it will say something like: “leaders must create a shared vision.” This statement is declared as if someone claims leadership by climbing a mountain and bellowing out the vision – and then followers flock to the cause with deep passion and motivation. If it were that simple, we would all be great leaders.
Creating a shared vision takes more than making a claim of leadership. Before you can engage others in a shared cause, you must have your own vision. You must have aspirations for which you are authentically enthusiastic – so enthusiastic that the vision inspires others. Unless your authentic vision shines through, you cannot expect others to be inspired.
The hard work of uncovering one’s authentic aspirations may be the single most challenging barrier to becoming a great leader. Authentic aspiration unfolds from deep self-awareness and not by blindly following your automatic drivers (those defaults that you deploy to protect and preserve your successes and your image).
Are you ready to face this challenge; to begin, today, an ongoing practice of deepening self-awareness? Are you ready to make the effort to uncover and recognize your hidden automatic drivers and to see what needs to be changed? Are you willing to persist in creating what’s possible rather than hugging the trend line by preserving and protecting? If so, you are a rare leader!
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