Leadership itself can take many forms, but it is our experience that leadership emerges from two factors: the internal willingness to lead as well as an external need for leadership. We define leadership as the moment when an individual steps forward to exert authority, initiative, and responsibility. Leadership is the moment of truth for an individual and an organization; as such leadership skills must be communicated, developed, and practiced.

Leadership Development Principles:

Leadership development should embrace the following operating principles:

• Position leadership as an enabling behavior – leaders inspire and enable others to achieve to the benefit of the individual, the team, and the leader

• Revere execution –leader‑managers know how to execute and get things done

• Instill the transformational spirit – change is inevitable; those who learn to adapt, innovate and execute will be those who succeed

• Enable leaders to learn by doing – give them opportunities to put what they have learned into immediate use

• Employ leader-teacher model – leaders teach emerging leaders how to lead, e.g. accomplish results through others

• Create an aura of excellence around leadership development – “the best of the best” teach and lead within our organization

• Demonstrate outcomes of leadership development – opportunities for individual and organizational growth and success

Practice Outcomes

Leadership development must accomplish the following:

• Develop, educate and support leaders at all levels
• Affirm the organizational vision, mission and values
• Reinforce the bond of trust between leader and follower
• Embrace transformation – e.g., change!
• Facilitate two‑way communications throughout all levels of the organizations, including manager to employee, employee to manager, and peer‑to‑peer.
• Create the impetus for organization effectiveness (e.g. making things happen)