Increase your leadership power to find and act on opportnities other miss

We’ve known much of this for some time. Yet one of the toughest challenges in organisations in today’s uncertain post Brexit world is cultivating a cadre of leaders with these qualities. Leaders who can be visionary and impactful, regardless of the uncertainty they face inside and outside their organisations. Leaders, who understand the nature of opportunities that arise in their daily management practice creating extraordinary organisations, where others don’t even spot that something truly world-altering is at play. Those who see the possible when others see impossible. The Accelerating Leadership Power programme from Praxis, begins with the most fundamental question: What is leadership? But are ‘attributes’ the sole reason these people became leaders? Are their choices and actions a consequence of their ‘qualities’? Sure, they are all talented, but is it what they’ve done, the ‘actions’, that we need to understand? Dr Dominik Heil wrestled with this dichotomy and the challenge of how to develop people as leaders. It led to him creating the innovative development process that underpins Praxis’ Accelerating Leadership Power programme. This approach begins with the most fundamental question: what is leadership?

Attributes, attitudes...what drives leadership power? Great leaders see their organisations differently to everyone else.They hold a richer insight into the internal and external environments in which the organisation operates. This insight helps them appreciate when and how to look further ahead and spot opportunities others miss. Such as Steve Jobs and his well-publicised grasp of the market and what people wanted from their devices. He used this to challenge and mould his people within the organisation to become more like him. He expanded this capability out from himself so that there was an organisation surrounding him as devoted as he was to realising opportunity driven by insight into user experience, not a slavish love of technology. This let him mould his people in the organisation so they could grasp and realise opportunity. They see the organisation they are part of differently. They have a stoicism that lets them evaluate what needs to be done, without becoming wedded in wasteful debates about why things aren’t perfect right now. This lets them be more productive, but in a different, non-clichéd way. Think about Lou Gerstner and the potential he saw within IBM and the hurdles he overcame to achieve them. They see people differently. They appreciate the complexity that arises from people, but also the power that sits within their people’s discretion if cultivated and directed astutely. They are also wise enough to know that people are the core of any organisation and are the real drivers of value. This lets them engage more with and inspire people than others do. Like Anne Mulcahy when she took over Xerox in 2001. Assuming command during a time of great uncertainty she invested time to personally meet with every one of her top 100 leaders. Engaging with them and outlining her vision of what needed to be done, made it their vision quickly. At a time when a Xerox executive was in high demand in the job market out of the 100 she met, only two jumped ship. Finally, they see themselves differently. They are humble when others show hubris. They are resolute when others are uncertain. They are brave and free when others are fearful and constrained. They know that they can only orchestrate: others are the ones who will make things happen. This makes them powerful as they get the best from people and don’t allow their ego to get in the way. As good an example of this you will find in Sarah Willingham, someone who can spot the potential in a business idea. Then underpin it with a robust business model, structure and organisation, then inspire those involved to rapidly make it a winning enterprise.