The Importance of Leadership

I want to quote to you today from a book that I have been reading. It is a wonderful couple of paragraphs, that considered will challenge and stretch us as we strive to be the best we can as a leader and manager.

Being in charge will stretch us

Leadership is a journey that can be profoundly rewarding, but it can also take us to the depths of despair. People will let us down. They will be ungrateful and thoughtless at times, yet regardless of this, always we must be resolute and even-handed and compassionate. We will need all the foresight and determination that we can muster, because no matter how qualified we might be, there will always be a great deal to learn about our selves and others. When we can open our selves up to our flaws, as well as to new ideas and new ways of seeing and doing things, we are able to benefit from this learning.

Management Skills: Communicate for Performance

Communication is such a large part of life, and yet we rarely train ourselves to achieve the best out of communication.

We attend courses to learn how to do strategy, project manage and apply six sigma approaches. We read HBR and BRW, and a range of popular fiction. We might learn woodworking, French or Ancient Asian History. We have coaches and trainers – for business success, stress management, physical fitness, or life goals.

BUT how often do we focus on communication skills?