Create a Culture of Leadership

In our current do more with less business climate, it’s more critical than ever that you bring everything you’ve got to your company’s leadership. And that doesn’t just mean being a great leader yourself. It means leading the way for others – at all levels of the organization – to become great leaders, too.

So how do you do that? That’s exactly what I’ll be discussing when I deliver the opening keynote at the general session of the Education Conference in Montreal. With all the changes the conference and meeting industry has undergone and so much at stake in the future, my goal is to give you a blueprint for clarifying your vision of success, simplifying the most direct route for reaching it, and executing your action plan against measurable milestones that your team enthusiastically embraces.

A big part of professional success – and what I’ll be talking about - is learning to maximize your Leadership DNA, that is your style of collaboration and influencing others. At the risk of oversimplifying the complexities of human nature, there are some basic categories into which most people fit. Take a look and see if you can identify yourself or the members of your team in the list below:

• DIRECTOR: A natural leader, the Director likes to take charge of projects and people. Directors have a sense of vision and are comfortable making decisions, even in the absence of all the data and information they’d like. But watch out - despite being extremely focused, Directors can be demanding, at times even dictatorial.

• SUPPORTER: Like the name implies, a Supporter is most at home working in service of others. Hard working, dependable and loyal, the Supporter is an excellent candidate to implement another’s vision. But don’t be surprised if the Supporter panics during high-stress transitions. Although they love being on the team, they rarely want to lead it.

• THRILL-SEEKER: Thrill-seekers are easy to spot. They’re at the center of the action, soaking up the attention. They’re usually charismatic, often creative and occasionally downright annoying. Thrill-seekers are the life of the party, just don’t ask them to do the dishes afterward.

• ANALYST: The Analyst thrives on information, the more the better. Although Analysts are highly skilled at synthesizing data, they can be slow to make decisions, always looking for the next piece of the puzzle before they make up their minds. But if they wait too long, the competition just might leave them in the dust.

Which description most closely resembles your primary and secondary leadership styles? Can you see why you click with some people and clash with others? Even more important, can you see why it’s crucial that you have all these types represented to build a dynamic ,well-rounded team?

I look forward to discussing how you can optimize your skills to create a culture where bold leadership is part of your organizational DNA. If you have any questions or comments prior to the conference, feel free to post them here or contact me directly at Libby@LibbyGill.com. See you in Montreal!