So much of my day is spent talking about, reading about, thinking about what is the magic recipe that makes a human successful, a leader, someone worth investing in so they can one day head up one of the great Canadian financial institutions. What combinations of capabilities, behaviours, attributes makes someone a great leader of business? How do we know if we have picked the right ones, identified the right high potential folks, decided on the right vendors, programs or an innumerable combinations of other factors?
It is a science and an art to define what success is, how to get there and who might be harbouring that potential. When asked for the definition of leadership I am guessing there are very few answers that will be identical. The process of trying to get it right is starting to feel a bit clinical. It's really made me think that maybe at the end of the day we all want the same thing. To be happy, to feel like we're making an impact, to be progressing in something we care about. Cultural fit, family, partner, experience, community, they all define what it means for someone to be successful and to be a leader. I don't want someone defining my potential, career path or what I need to do to make myself enough. I am happy to do all of that on my own, with the input of those who I respect and know care about me, those who give feedback from a place of love. Perhaps it is my "don't tell me what to do" attitude but I think that empowering and engaging might just be the key to creating leaders in everyone an organization touches.
