1. Developing Leaders for the Future
Susan Steele
Executive Director
Island Work Transitions, Inc.

2. Agenda Introduction Theories and definitions Traits and attributes
Leadership Skill Development

3. Are Leaders Born or Created?
Leaders can be developed, but some inherent characteristics are helpful:
Extraversion
General and Social Intelligence
Empathy
Open to new experiences and enjoy a challenge
Life long learner
Enjoy teaching others
Extraversion is consistently associated with obtaining leadership positions and leader effectiveness. Along with being an extravert, being bold, assertive, or risk-taking can be advantageous for leaders. .
Leaders also need to be smart to analyze situations and figure out courses of action, so intelligence is associated with leadership. Not necessarily IQ, but social intelligence - understanding of social situations and processes - is the component of intelligence that is important for leadership.
Empathy, or ability to know followers, is also advantageous for leaders (although much of this is learned). As noted leadership scholar, Bernard Bass, noted, "The leader must be able to know what followers want, when they want it, and what prevents them from getting what they want."
Some additional qualities that I think are important include:
Open to new ideas and new ways of working – enjoy a challenge
Life long learner – always looking to increase skills and experiences
Enjoy teaching or passing on your knowledge to benefit others

4. Great leaders don’t set out to be a leader… they set out to make a difference. It’s never about the role – always about the goal.
Unknown

5. Leadership Styles Autocratic – ‘My way or the highway’
Democratic/Participatory Leadership Style - "Distributing responsibility among the membership"
People or Relationship style – focuses on the needs of the people
Transactional Leadership – values order and structure and being in command
Task Oriented Leadership – “doing whatever it takes to get the job done”
Situational Leadership – flexible and adaptable to the needs of the organization
Transformational – always seeking better way to do things
Servant Leadership - shares power, puts the needs of the employees first and helps people develop and perform as highly as possible

6. Leadership Styles Task Oriented Leadership
A task-oriented leader places a heavy emphasis on structure, plans, and schedules for getting things done. The task-oriented leadership style might include:
Step-by-step planning
Reward/punishment systems
Constantly defining structure and goals
Prioritizing achievement of specific outcomes
Sticking to rigid schedules
Requiring employees to set process-oriented goals and formulate plans to achieve them (Management by Objectives)

7. Leadership Styles Situational Leadership Situational Leadership
One of the keys to situational leadership is adaptability. Leaders must be able to move from one style to another to meet the changing needs of an organization and its employees. These leaders must have the insight to understand when to change their management style and what leadership strategy fits each new paradigm.
Some of the characteristics of the situational leadership style include:
Insight, Flexibility, Trust, Problem Solving, Coaching
Situational Leadership
One of the keys to situational leadership is adaptability. Leaders must be able to move from one style to another to meet the changing needs of an organization and its employees. These leaders must have the insight to understand when to change their management style and what leadership strategy fits each new paradigm.
Some of the characteristics of the situational leadership style include:
Insight: The situational leader must be able to understand the needs of the followers, then adjust his or her management style to meet those needs
Flexibility: Situational leaders must be able to move seamlessly from one type of leadership style to another
Trust: The leader must be able gain his or her followers’ trust and confidence
Problem solving: The situational leader must be able to solve problems, such as how to get a job done using the best leadership style available
Coach: The situational leader must be able to evaluate the maturity and competence of the followers and then apply the right strategy to enhance the follower and their personal character

8. Leadership Styles Transformational Leadership
Transformational leaders specialize in:
Working to change the system
Solving challenges by finding experiences that show that old patterns do not fit or work
Maximizing their teams’ capability and capacity for change
Some of the characteristics of transformational leaders include:
Very well-organized
Expect their followers to be creative
Team-oriented and expect that followers will work together to create the best possible results
Responsible for their team, but also instills responsibility into team members

9. Leadership Styles
Watch Ken Blanchard’s description of Servant Leadership.
Servant Leadership

10. 1. Ability
To learn and understand technical issues through education and training.
To gain knowledge about all facets of the organization you lead to better understand the work your employees do.
To communicate effectively and holistically. Verbal, written, dress, image.
To resolve conflicts objectively.
To solve problems – through analysis.

11. 2. Awareness
It’s the ability to retain an objective perspective on everything that's going on.
Self awareness of your strengths, weaknesses, biases and trigger points, and be critically self-reflective.
It includes the ability to assess the impact of actions on situations and on all others.

12. 3. Decisiveness
The ability to make difficult decisions in the best interest of the entire organization.
The awareness that decisions affect the lives of others.
Decisions are well researched, sound and defensible.

13. 4. Empathy The ability to understand the needs of others.
The ability to listen attentively – to be present.
The ability to seek solutions to foster the long-term success of the organization.

14. 5. Accountability
Take responsibility for everyone’s performance, including their own.
Follow up on outstanding issues.
Monitor effectiveness of policies and procedures.
Find solutions to problems and get back on track.

15. 6. Confidence
Confidence comes from hard work and well–informed strategies.
People trust their advice and support.
When proven wrong, take full responsibility and make necessary changes.

16. 7. Optimism The best leaders are a source of positive energy!
They are helpful and genuinely concerned for other people’s welfare.
They avoid personal criticism and pessimistic thinking.
They get people to work together efficiently and effectively.

17. 8. Honesty
Strong leaders treat people the way they want to be treated.
They are ethical, honest and believe reliability is the foundation of success.
They share information openly and avoid spin control.

18. 9. Focus The ability to plan ahead and be supremely organized.
The ability to think through multiple scenarios and possible impacts of decisions.
They communicate plans clearly to key players.
The develop contingency plans in the event of changes occurring.

19. 10. Inspiration To summarize, the extraordinary leader:
Communicates clearly, concisely and often.
Motivates everyone to do their best all the time.
Challenge people by setting high but attainable standards.
Give people support, tools, training and latitude to pursue the goals.

20. Leadership Style Assessment
Leadership Self Assessment Questionnaire.
Identify what leadership skills you need to develop.
Read about the Blake and Mouton Managerial Grid – Leadership Self Assessment Questionnaire:

21. Assessment Results
Team Leader
(high task, high relationship)

22. How to Acquire Knowledge and Ability
Skill Development
How to Acquire Knowledge and Ability
Training
Education
Experience
Volunteer for projects
Sit on Board of Directors

23. Awareness Skill Development
Assess each project to continually seek improvements
Practice self assessment
Ask for constructive feedback
Improve key skills – communication, presentation

24. Decisiveness Skill Development Take your time to follow a process:
Analyze all options
Include contributions from others
Test assumptions
Communicate the decision
Stay involved with the implementation

25. Skill Development
Accountability

26. Skill Development
Honesty

27. Skill Development
Watch Listen Learn

28. Final Thought
Ultimately, leadership is not about glorious crowning acts. It's about keeping your team focused on a goal and motivated to do their best to achieve it, especially when the stakes are high and the consequences really matter. It is about laying the groundwork for others' success, and then standing back and letting them shine.
Chris Hadfield

29. Sources How to be a Strong Leader in the Face of Uncertainty
Leadership Theory
St. Thomas University -
The 9 Traits that Define Great Leaders
Peter Economy The Leadership as found on inc.com
Ken Blanshard on Servant Leadership

31. Leadership Cartoon