Leadership is a Journey, not a Destination

No doubt we remember, as I do, the day we were promoted and became a manager. From that day we had the power to manage others, we developed through training and experience, we built relationships with our teams, colleagues, and organisation. It was a day we all remember. But when did we become a leader? What day? What circumstances? What happened? Did we receive a badge or certificate in appreciation of our new role?

In truth we never actually arrive at the destination of being the very best leader that we can be. We should aspire to this, but our vision is ahead of us and we cannot see the future. No longer the power to drive our colleagues forward, but a vision that in-turn leads others to follow us into the unknown.

Every situation requires different talents and skills, so leaders must stay acutely aware and learn to be agile along the way. We make decisions about the people we lead, our organisations and ourselves. Decisions about a new career opportunity, a new country to work in, a new organisation or industry, or an innovative vision of the future for our organisation to gain a competitive advantage. Every time we make these decisions, it sets us on a new path. Our leadership journey may lead to sudden disruptions, like technology, or new industry-altering strategies, even unforeseen international adversities which completely defy the way ahead.

Understanding these ideas is even more important in the 21st century, a time when our leadership journey is getting increasingly challenging. Building on their vison allows the agile leaders to harness the skills and abilities of their teams, their organisations, and for themselves.

The AZTech training course “The Leadership Journey” provides leaders with the harmonious ability to mix forward-vision thinking, tactical execution and self-awareness across key aspects of leadership:

• Applying the principles of true leadership which will build a worthy legacy.
• Create and frame a powerful vision for personal, team and organisational direction.
• Evaluate and employ communication techniques that motivate and engage employees.
• Create an empowering culture of innovation for organisational improvement.
• Employ behavioural techniques which exert influence, ignite passion, and generate engagement.

For the journey to be successful leaders need to develop “insight” to understand their capabilities and talents, as well as what may be their failings in each situation. They need to understand what will drive or block them at different points of their leadership journey. The journey must be determinedly re-assessed considering the current and future situations. They need the commitment to make focused and dedicated changes, with reflection, practice, support, and feedback. They must confront hard questions such as: “Why am I doing what I’m doing on this journey?”

Capabilities are not emphasised carelessly. Insightfully aware leaders emphasise the capabilities required to achieve specific strategic or operational outcomes at the time or in the future. This is how they succeed on their journey and why they have followers. For example, a leader in a precarious operations role might emphasise control capabilities like implementation and risk management. Meanwhile, a leader developing innovative products or services might emphasise more creative capabilities such as brainstorming or ideation.

Our unconscious is filled with drivers and blockers. The key is to reflect on our leadership consciously, and in context. Every leader’s journey is a personal one – with opportunities to seize and problems to face. Assess your passions, your motivations, your talents and your skills. Match these to the journeys ahead and adjust where needed. Always be “insightfully aware” as you challenge yourself to be the best leader you can be in the journey stages that you are sharing with others.

The AZTech “The Leadership Journey”, will support your growth by facilitating the key aspects of leadership in modern times, and by making time for your personal evaluation and reflection. The course is designed to consciously create a set of mindsets and habits that work effectively across all key leadership challenges: from the corporate, to the business, to the functional, to the self. Connect them all.

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AZTech is a leading international provider of training courses, seminars, workshops, programs, conferences and in-house training.  These can be delivered either in classroom or virtual setup. We deliver a wide range of cutting-edge training that include Strategy, Management & Leadership, Finance & Accounting, Health & Safety, Human Resources, Project Management, Procurement and Contracts Management, Mechanical, Maintenance, & Electrical Engineering. AZTech Training is all about ensuring that our delegates get Quality Assured Training and this commitment to delivering the best possible learning experience is demonstrated by our continuous working relationship with the world’s leading professional governing and certifying bodies. Visit us at www.aztechtraining.com.

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