Leadership isn’t simply a title. It’s not reserved for CEOs, executives, politicians or people managing large teams.
Every one of us leads.
We lead organizations, teams and families. Perhaps most importantly, we lead ourselves. Whether you’re responsible for a Fortune 500 company, raising children, running a small business or serving your community, leadership matters.
But effective leadership doesn’t happen accidentally. It requires intentional, long-term development.
Leadership Development Is a Journey, Not an Event
One of the best examples I’ve experienced came from a credit union client I had the privilege of working with for approximately a decade.
The CEO, Fred, understood something many leaders miss: developing exceptional leaders and teams isn’t accomplished through a one-day workshop.
Every year, I flew out to facilitate a management retreat, along with additional work throughout the year. Over that decade, we used multiple CRG tools, including the Personal Style Indicator (PSI), Leadership Skills Inventory, Values Preference Indicator (VPI), Stress Indicator & Health Planner (SIHP) and Job Style Indicator (JSI). We also worked extensively on teamwork, team development and team values.
Eventually, approximately 300 people throughout the organization were trained in understanding personality and behavioural styles.
But here’s what made the difference: they actually used what they learned.
Fred and his management team didn’t complete an assessment, attend a workshop and put the materials on a shelf. They incorporated the concepts into their weekly management meetings. Personality, leadership, values and team development became part of how they operated.
Fred later credited the Personal Style Indicator as the single most important tool for helping him understand the strengths and weaknesses of his team. From there, he took a long-term approach to developing their leadership capabilities through CRG’s transformational leadership model.
He didn’t expect an overnight transformation. He committed to building one of the best teams possible.
Over time, the credit union grew and eventually became part of a billion-dollar organization.
That wasn’t an accident. It began with a CEO who believed that developing his people was fundamental to developing the organization.
Leadership Is Everywhere—Effective Leadership Isn’t
Throughout my career, I’ve seen leadership deficiencies across industries, cultures and countries. We see leaders unwilling to make difficult decisions, organizations avoiding accountability and individuals putting personal interests ahead of the greater good.
A leadership title doesn’t automatically create leadership capability.
In his book Good to Great, Jim Collins described Level 5 Leadership as a combination of personal humility and professional determination. Those characteristics align closely with many of the competencies we’ve researched and developed at CRG.
The important question isn’t simply, “Am I a leader?” It’s “How effective am I at leading, and what am I intentionally doing to become better?”
Transformational Leaders See What Could Be
Years ago, I observed another example at a private school experiencing significant challenges. Enrollment was declining, internal conflicts were creating division and the organization needed a different direction.
Then approximately 80% of the board members were replaced.
The new board focused on the students, the school’s purpose and what needed to happen for the organization to succeed. The culture changed and the school began experiencing sustained growth.
The organization didn’t suddenly acquire more potential. Its leadership changed.
Transformational leaders don’t simply manage what already exists. They see what could exist and help others get there. They deliver results, confront difficult realities, take responsibility, build strong teams and develop people who can eventually lead without them.
Leadership Begins With Self-Awareness
One of the greatest mistakes leaders make is assuming that because they hold a leadership position, they automatically possess effective leadership skills.
A title gives you authority. It doesn’t necessarily give you leadership capability.
Effective leadership begins with understanding yourself. What are your strengths and blind spots? How do you communicate? What do you value? How do you respond under pressure? And importantly, how do other people experience your leadership?
You may believe you’re an excellent communicator, but does your team agree? You may believe you empower people, but do they actually feel empowered?
Leadership isn’t measured only by our intentions. It’s experienced through our behaviours.
That’s why CRG’s Leadership Skills Inventory–Self (LSI–Self) helps leaders evaluate their own leadership behaviours and competencies, while the Leadership Skills Inventory–360º (LSI–360º) adds the perspective of the people around them.
That comparison can be revealing, but awareness creates the opportunity for growth.
From Leadership Awareness to Transformation
Assessment alone doesn’t develop a leader. What matters is what you do with the information.
That’s why we developed the Breakthrough Transformational Leadership eCourse, based on decades of CRG leadership research and built around 12 Transformational Leadership Principles and 60 leadership skills.
The program addresses the capabilities required to lead yourself, communicate effectively, coach and develop others, build exceptional teams and create meaningful organizational change.
And just as Fred and his credit union team demonstrated, leadership development shouldn’t be treated as a one-time event.
You assess, learn, apply, receive feedback, adjust and continue developing.
The goal isn’t simply to know more about leadership. It’s to become a better leader.
What Type of Leader Are You Becoming?
Transformational leadership requires courage, discipline, humility, accountability and a commitment to continual development.
Whether you’re leading a family, a small team or a billion-dollar organization, I believe the fundamental responsibility remains the same:
Leave the people and organizations you lead better than you found them.
Fred invested in his team for years because he understood that developing people wasn’t separate from organizational success—it was one of the primary drivers of it.
Dr. Ken’s Leadership Insight
Great leadership doesn’t happen by accident, and it certainly doesn’t happen in a day. Leadership development is an intentional, long-term process of increasing self-awareness, developing skills, applying what you’ve learned and continually getting better. Invest in your people consistently and the benefits can transform an entire organization.
If you’re serious about developing yourself or your leadership team, the Leadership Skills Inventory–Self, Leadership Skills Inventory–360º and Breakthrough Transformational Leadership provide a comprehensive pathway from assessment and self-awareness to practical leadership development.
Don’t treat leadership development as an event. Make it part of how you lead.
Until next time, keep Living, Leading and Working On Purpose.