Transformational leadership, a style that emphasizes vision, inspiration, and positive change, has been widely studied and lauded for its effectiveness in various organizational settings. My research underscores the critical role of self-awareness in achieving transformational leadership success.

Emotional intelligence has gained significant traction over the past few decades as a critical factor in leadership and organizational performance. While many leaders focus on technical skills and IQ, others research the indispensable role of EQ.  I particularly love EQ and self-awareness, in driving leadership effectiveness.

Leadership is a multifaceted construct that has been studied extensively, yet no single definition or approach to effective leadership has been universally accepted. Among the various models, the Five Practices of Exemplary Leadership® by Kouzes and Posner stands out as a well-researched framework that offers actionable insights into leadership behaviors that drive success.  And, this research has provided similar results over 4 decades! 

In the realm of leadership, the influence of a leader can shape the culture, morale, and performance of an entire organization. While effective leadership can inspire, motivate, and empower, the presence of toxic leaders can have devastating consequences that reverberate throughout the workplace and beyond.

Leadership is an adventure, a continuous journey of growth, learning, and empowerment. I'm thrilled to share my latest exploration into one of the most impactful frameworks in leadership development: "The Five Practices of Exemplary Leadership" by Kouzes and Posner.

It’s not about what we say we do, a culture is about what we prioritize, and what actions we reward or penalize. “Culture eats strategy for breakfast” notes Peter Drucker. In other words, what comes to fruition is based on the culture you create, not the strategy you plan.

How can ethics be part of your organization’s game plan, so that employees, venders, customers, candidates, and shareholders will be considered? Not always easy in a publicly traded organization where market share too often is the only goal. But, fortunately, there are many organizations who value the wellbeing (financial, safety, health, etc.) of all those impacted.

In today’s highly competitive, global market, where resources are often limited, many organizations are looking for ways to enhance organizational performance, ways to differentiate themselves from their competitors. With tougher competitive challenges and reduced timeframes to deliver, the organizations that are achieving high-performance are doing so by leveraging their talent – truly its human capital.

The positive aspects of family business are often challenged with more complex relationships than are found in publicly traded organizations. These complexities are deep seated more than the frequently discussed taboo ‘nepotism’. To understand this complicated workplace environment, one may want to look at the various relationships that exist within a family business, and to identify strategies to overcome these challenges.

Effective leadership is about head and heart, mind, and emotion; it’s about cognitive and affective processing; it’s about learning and changing. Effective leaders are self-aware, and this motivates, engages, and empowers others. 

It may seem like a daunting task to manage people from afar, let alone supporting people with so many additional stresses. But, as many successful global organizations have found, and some smaller organizations who were flexible in their response to COVID-19 requirements, it does not have to be difficult; just different.

A leaders’ primary responsibility is to bring a group of individuals together, inspire them to work together in the pursuit of a shared vision so that together they deliver results that meet or exceed expectations.