One of the greatest Corporate leaders, ex GE CEO Jack Welch once said, “Before you become a leader, success is all about growing yourself. After you become a leader, success is about growing others.”

In recent times, the concept of developing leadership qualities in all employees, regardless of whether or not they manage people, is becoming an important part of many organizations’ overall HR strategy.

In his book ‘You Don’t Need a Title to Be a Leader: How Anyone, Anywhere, Can Make a Positive Difference’, author Mark Sanborn illustrates how everyone can be a leader and make a positive difference, regardless of title or position.  Genuine leadership, he argues, is shown through daily actions and the way we influence the lives of those around us.  Some of these qualities include:

• Acting with purpose rather than getting bogged down by mindless activity

• Caring about and listening to others

• Looking for ways to encourage the contributions and development of others rather than focusing solely on personal achievements

• Creating a legacy of accomplishment and contribution in everything they do

Thomas International, in their blog: ‘How to Develop Leadership Skills in Employees’ cites the following leadership skills as key in creating great leaders:

Delegation

Confidence

Communication

Reliability

Integrity

Trustworthiness

Empathy

Patience

Decisiveness

Motivating

Inspiring

Innovative

So how can businesses support and grow its leaders?

Developing high potential employees is one of the first steps.  This includes identifying them, retaining them and engaging them.

Secondly, building a robust Learning & Development program which incorporates leadership development is key as it builds employee capability, ensuring employees become long term valuable assets, able to lead your business in the near future.  

Teaching your employees to think like entrepreneurs is empowering to employees and not only increases employee engagement and retention but helps businesses reach their objectives.  

If you would like support with your leadership development, speak to the HR Consulting team at Flexi Personnel.