Leanna Cruz
Editorial Director

Organizations need more than the best skilled and most knowledgeable employees, they need those employees to be committed and to be leaders. Leaders who can do want needs to be done when faced with obstacles and who do not wait for direction when faced with challenges. They need leaders who can get teams to cooperate and deliver the best quality, most innovative results. But consider that we are in the midst of developing new ways of conducting business, requiring new leadership skills to succeed. The challenges we now confront including the diversity in the workforce we lead, the constant improvement in technologies available, the flattening organizational structure and the expectations from the top, will require leaders to develop new skills and transform others to suit the changes ahead.

Certain skills will always be required but with new perspective as we move through the current environment of chaos, ambiguity, uncertainty and rapid change. As we move toward a new way of doing business additional leadership skills will be required. For the future success of organizations, leaders must be connectors of processes, systems, ideas and people. They must have clarity in chaos, find opportunities in challenges and find opportunities in external change and progress.

Leadership Skills and Attributes for today and for the future

Good communication across cultures, disciplines and generations. An ability to present with clarity and effectiveness using appropriate technology.
Great listener with an open mind and discernment to filter an overwhelming amount of stimuli being able to see patterns immerge.
Persistent through uncertainty, ambiguity and inevitable setbacks.
Self aware being clear about their strengths and understand their limitations.
Seek Critical Feedback discerning valid feedback versus noise.
Confidence to take risks during volatility and in the face of many business closures around them. Leaders must careful deliberate and considers all the options, weigh the risks but respond swiftly.
Clarity of vision seeing through the chaos, clutter and contradictions with the ability to express strategy and direction clearly, inspiring others to continue to follow.
Accept mistakes and losses without being deterred, developing solutions for the inevitable challenges.
Committed yet understand the significance of balance.
Consistent with quality of results being key.
Committed to life long learning gaining knowledge and experience by doing and formal and informal learning opportunities.
Bring out the best in people

Bring out the best in people in more detail
New leadership requires bringing people from diverse cultures, disciplines and professions toward constructive engagement. Ensuring all parties disclose their points, bring those with extreme positions toward constructive engagement and dialogue, calming situations where differences causes stalling, each member believing that their point is most valid. The more comfortable a leader is with cultural diversity for example, the more likely he or she will be able to lead in diverse organizations. A background in cultural anthropology, extensive international travel off the beaten path or having lived in a variety of countries is an advantage. An openness and ability to learn from people who are very different from themselves is essential. It is essential to learn about cultural influences on communication. The abundance of international cultures represented in United States, with many individuals willing and eager to share, makes this a fairly easy task. Know how cultural influences affect communication allows leaders to effectively lead teams, engage team members, gain critical input, motivate and inspire.

In the Fall issue of the magazine you read why thinking globally is important to success and how to positively impact your organizations diversity initiatives. These topics are critical to the success of leaders because they will need to be able to effectively lead teams of individuals with diverse backgrounds, cultures, personal and professional styles and professional disciplines. Leaders who will be the stars of the future must be able to bring out the best in each individual, understand the perspectives of all and create an atmosphere for all to participate and make significant contributions to the team effort to discover new, innovative ways to accomplish organizational goals.

Leadership today is not about maintaining the status quo or preserving the successes of the past. Keeping up with economic changes and changes in the way work can be done is essential as well as the foresight to develop skills to make you most effective. You don’t need to learn them all at once, but commitment to do so is a must.

Since leaders develop over time, settling the argument that leaders are not born they develop, anyone who wants to be an effective leader given the current chaos and future uncertainty can learn the required skills to be effective and have significant influence. In 2010 Posi+ively Successful magazine will uncover details relevant for career and leadership success in the new business environment, keeping subscribers ahead of the pack.