Leaders don’t spontaneously emerge, fully formed, from your pool of employees.

Leaders must learn new skills and apply them just like everyone else. 

Certainly, some people show more promise as leaders – regardless of their official job title – but leadership development is a long-term process. Fortunately, most corporate leaders realize this and consider leadership development to be a top priority.

Leadership development is a broad term. For the aspiring or first-time leader, it means something different than what it means for the seasoned senior executive. Generally speaking, leadership development at lower levels of leadership is more tactical and “nuts and bolts.” Leadership at senior levels tends to be more strategic and geared toward the development and sustenance of corporate culture.

All leadership development programs need four essential elements: participants, instructors, high-quality content, and executive buy-in. If any of these elements is missing, the program cannot accomplish its goals.

The most effective programs create a virtuous cycle of measurement, learning, and application of skills.

The most effective development programs involve measurement, learning, and applying new skills.

Indeed, many great programs begin with assessments of participants to determine their strengths and shortcomings. That way, less time is wasted working on skills that are already strong, and more time can be spent addressing skills gaps. Once participants learn a skill, they should take the time to apply it (in different contexts, if possible). It’s only by applying skills and actually practicing them that people fully assimilate skills and learn to call on them when they’re needed. Then the measure-learn-apply cycle can begin again.

How Leadership Development Programs Benefit Businesses

Leadership development programs shouldn’t just be “feel-good” or “check off the boxes” programs. When done with forethought and genuine enthusiasm, they benefit businesses in multiple ways:

• They boost the organization’s financial performance
• They make it easier to attract and retain talent
• They improve the organizational culture
• They help the organization develop agility

Sixty-five percent of businesses with established leadership development programs demonstrate improved business results and a healthier bottom line. One study found that businesses that focus on the development of personnel report significantly higher stock market returns compared to businesses that neglect leadership development.

Businesses that invest in leadership development programs see better results on their bottom line.

As for attracting and retaining talent, companies typically find it more effective to develop internal candidates rather than bringing new people in from the outside. This encourages top performers to stay, and makes the company a better place to work, making it easier to attract candidates when they must be sourced externally.

Outstanding leadership development strengthens culture by keeping focus on the organizational vision. This helps in the creation of processes that work toward both short- and long-term objectives. Finally, strong leadership development helps equip businesses to respond to market changes. It’s harder for companies without strong leadership at all levels to respond to economic turbulence.

Leadership Development and the First-Level Leader

“First-level” leaders are those who are transitioning from being an individual contributor to being a leader. This may mean becoming a team leader, or managing a project, for example. At this level, emerging leaders need to acquire tactical skills to succeed in leadership. Skills necessary for first-level leaders include:

• Effective communication
• Motivating team members
• Defining goals and tasks
• Delegating
• Listening to and offering feedback
• Conflict resolution
• Empowering others to solve problems

In other words, first-level leaders are moving from getting the job done themselves to doing the job by facilitating other people’s contributions.

First-time leaders may manage a project or a small group to start out.

First-level leaders are transitioning from using their skills or technical expertise directly to using both these skills and leadership skills to elicit great results from others. The type of leadership development they need is more tactical and hands-on than leadership at higher echelons.

Leadership Development and the Mid-Level Leader

At higher leadership levels, emerging mid-level leaders build upon their skills at eliciting great performance to helping those performers develop their skills in ways that are aligned with organizational goals. In other words, they’re not just ensuring their team meets requirements, but are helping team members grow and develop so that new leaders can emerge.

Leadership development programs for mid-level leaders will include different elements than those for first-level or senior-level leaders. Mid-level leaders are at the point of moving away from strictly tactical leadership skills, toward leadership skills that are more strategic in nature. They may, for example, be moving from project leadership to departmental leadership, where different skill sets are necessary.

Leadership growth skills for mid-level leaders include things like:

• Goal setting for teams rather than individuals
• Cross-functional collaboration skills
• Negotiation skills
• Higher-level delegation skills on the team, rather than individual level

As mid-level leaders, people develop a clearer sense of purpose within the overall organization, and they usually develop a leadership philosophy that works for them and that is in alignment with their core beliefs and values. Fewer of their actions are triggered by external sources (like supervisors), and more of their actions are triggered by internal decisions.

Leadership Development and the Senior-Level Leader

Senior-level leaders must operate more strategically and are often responsible for strengthening corporate culture.

At the senior or executive level of leadership, the focus shifts further from leading individuals and teams, toward leading the development and maintenance of the organizational culture. Executive-level leaders lead other leaders, in other words. Senior leaders may sometimes have to use tactical leadership skills like delegation or conflict resolution, but they must increasingly rely on strategic skills, such as:

• Organizational strategy development
• Communication of the organizational vision
• Creating a corporate culture that supports organizational vision
• Ensuring conditions are right for others’ growth and development
• Shaping organizational culture to support outstanding performance

It’s easy to see that the leadership development program that is right for first-time leaders would probably not serve the needs of seasoned executives and vice versa. Even in companies with relatively flat organizational structures, leaders will have different levels of experience. Therefore, leadership development programs must be designed with the participants’ specific skill levels and needs in mind.

The following table summarizes the basics of what is needed in leadership development at different leadership levels.

Individual Programs vs. Group Programs

Group leadership development programs tend to be more affordable, but they may not be easy to customize to organizational needs.

Should leadership development programs be implemented on an individual or a group level? The right answer will depend on several factors including the size of the leadership “class,” specific leadership needs, and the budget for training.

Individual training would be ideal, but few organizations can carve out the individual time or the money to support this type of training – particularly if multiple individuals qualify for leadership development. Group training makes sense for many businesses, but programs must be chosen carefully to ensure they address noted skills gaps at the right learning level for participants.

The following table summarizes the differences between individual and group leadership development programs, and the advantages and disadvantages of each.

Key Leadership Skills All Leadership Development Programs Should Support

There are some leadership skills that are so fundamental that they can make or break leadership effectiveness at any level. Leadership development programs should offer lessons that support and strengthen self-awareness, lifelong learning, influence, and communication.

Fundamental leadership skills should be strengthened by leadership development programs.

Self-awareness, as I have said many times, is one of the most – perhaps the most – important leadership quality, because it underlies every action of a true leader. Self-awareness begins with self-knowledge and is closely related to emotional intelligence. It allows us to evaluate situations, “read” the room, understand our emotions, and behave proactively rather than reactively.

Lifelong learning is necessary for everyone and leaders in particular. We live in a time of rapid change, and the markets and technologies we count on today can be superseded at any time. The leader who stops learning is a leader nearing the end of their effectiveness.

Influence is similar to authority. It comes primarily from setting a great example. A leader’s influence has the power to shape character, behavior, and attitudes, for good or ill. Every leader must understand their influence on others and the surprising amount of responsibility that goes along with it.

Without communication, it’s impossible to lead. When the only difference between two leaders is communication ability, the one who can communicate well is by definition the better leader. Communication from leaders takes many forms, and leaders who develop their communication skills and strive to continually improve them can count on becoming a better leader.

How Participants Can Get the Most from Leadership Development Programs

Excellent time management helps leadership development program participants prepare and get the most from their program.

Whether you’re a participant in a leadership development program or are responsible for developing such programs, it’s important to know how people can get the most from them. Participants who will gain the most from leadership development programs are those who:

• Manage their time well. Maintaining a calendar with reminders and time blocked out for course attendance, review, other work, home life, and R&R can help ensure that no area of life is shortchanged.
• Use learning best practices. People have different learning styles and most know what’s best for them. Having the right tools at hand, focusing during learning sessions, reviewing, and taking breaks can help learning “stick” better.
• Use available resources. Learners who take advantage of resources like online videos, podcasts, or written materials can shore up areas where they need more information or practice, helping close skills gaps more effectively.
• Ask for help. Everyone occasionally needs help, and there is absolutely no shame in asking for clarification or asking other questions. Asking questions helps ensure you won’t miss key concepts and keeps you engaged in learning.
• Prepare. Successful learners attend learning sessions rested and ready to learn.
• Challenge themselves. When a learner finds a particularly interesting topic or aspect of a lesson, they may use their own time to dig deeper and satisfied their need to learn more.

The Role of Coaching in Leadership Development

Coaching enhances leadership development at every leadership level.

Coaching can take a good leadership development program and turn it into an exemplary one. Coaches work individually with people to develop strengths and overcome weaknesses and to practice skills so that they become natural and fluid. Sure, you could reasonably replicate your grandmother’s recipe for blackberry pie, but you’ll get even better results if she’s there with you, coaching you through every step.

Leadership coaching may or may not be a part of a pre-packaged leadership development program. It’s worth asking about. Programs that provide at least some one-on-one coaching in addition to learning and skills development help participants lockdown skills, improve retention of knowledge and have an easier time putting new skills to work in everyday life.

Many companies invest in individual leadership coaching for their senior-level executives because they have seen the results that outstanding coaching can produce. Unfortunately, one-on-one coaching on an extended basis can be too expensive for many companies to add to their leadership development programs. Regardless, it’s essential that program developers understand the importance of participants practicing new skills and build practice sessions into programs.

Companies invest in leadership coaching for the same reason they invest in leadership development: because it gets measurable results. If coaching isn’t in the budget, particularly for first-time or mid-level leaders, helping these emerging leaders find capable and willing mentors can be valuable in terms of reinforcing learning and putting it all into context.

Conclusion

Leadership development pays off over the short and long term.

Organizations that don’t invest in leadership development are leaving their future to chance. Even if today’s leadership “bench” is young and effective, there’s no way to know how it will be in two or five years. Leadership development programs help companies ensure a deeper bench and help ensure that when leadership positions open up, the right person is ready and willing to step up and take on the challenge.

No single leadership development program is right for every organization. Organizational size and structure, the particular industry, and organizational goals all influence what “leadership” means. But investing in leadership development is an investment with demonstrable ROI. Not only does it strengthen leadership capability, but it also strengthens corporate culture and helps ensure that individual and team goals stay aligned with organizational goals.

The best leadership development begins with the identification of front-line employees who demonstrate leadership within their roles and who show promise for taking on bigger responsibilities. The sooner you identify potential leaders, learn of their willingness, and assist the willing with developing leadership skills, the better prepared you will be for a bright and promising future.

Glossary of Terms

Communication – effectively sharing or exchanging information, whether through speech, writing, video, or some other medium

First-level leader – a leader on the first rung of the leadership ladder. Someone who is transitioning from being a front-line producer to being a leader of individuals.

Influence – the ability to affect others’ character, behavior, development, actions, or attitudes

Leadership coaching – a one-on-one professional relationship in which a coach works with a client to strengthen strengths, address shortcomings and generally fulfill leadership potential

Leadership development program – an educational program designed to help new leaders gain skills and more experienced leaders maintain and improve skills in preparation for taking on greater responsibilities

Lifelong learning – a desire and willingness to continue learning new things, regardless of educational status, job title, age, or general level of experience or accomplishments

Measure-learn-apply – a virtuous educational cycle involving measuring competency, learning a skill, applying and assimilating the skill, and then starting the cycle over at a higher level

Mid-level leader – a leader who is moving from leading individuals or projects to leading teams, departments, or other organizational subsets

Self-awareness – the ability to monitor and manage one’s thoughts, emotions, and attitudes and behave appropriately in a given context

Senior-level leader – a leader at the top levels of leadership. Senior leaders operate more strategically and are often relied upon to strengthen and maintain organizational culture and define the organization’s place in the community and the industry.

Authenticity in a leader balances the professional with the personal.

People want to work for actual human beings, not soulless robots.

People want to be led by real people, not “work-fueled robots.” The authentic leader behaves as a professional and clearly demonstrates through accomplishments that they’re qualified for their role. At the same time, however, authentic leaders are individuals who demonstrate their capacity for thinking for themselves, having original thoughts, and genuinely caring for the success and well-being of the team.

Without authenticity, you could substitute one leader for another with little effect. At the same time, however, leaders should never use “authenticity” as an excuse for bad behavior. You can be who you are without treating people badly or flouting ethics.

Authenticity in a leader benefits not only leadership, but also the team. Here are four positive effects of authenticity in leadership.

1. More Inspired Teams

Team members led by authentic leaders experience more inspiration. They’re more engaged in what they’re doing and have a stronger sense that their work is meaningful. When the leader genuinely believes in the value of the work, it sets a strong example for everyone else, and people generally respond well, wanting to give their best efforts.

By contrast, leaders who lack authenticity may be motivated by self-aggrandizement, or they may rationalize bad behavior. It’s easy to see how such leaders would fail to inspire the best efforts and best behaviors of team members.

2. Greater Job Satisfaction

Employees who perceive authenticity in their leaders are more likely to experience job satisfaction and overall work happiness, according to a study published in the Leadership & Organization Development Journal. Other positive effects related to job satisfaction and authenticity in leadership include less cynicism, less burnout, and higher levels of trust and performance.

Moreover, a UK study found that leaders who demonstrate authenticity themselves had stronger senses of psychological and subjective well-being and higher levels of self-esteem. In other words, the positive effects of authentic leadership radiate outward from the leader.

3. Better Employee Retention

Authentic leadership helps with employee retention, so you’ll celebrate more employee milestones.

Authentic leadership is concerned with helping team members develop their own skills and competencies, and for that reason, some team members will “outgrow” the company and leave. However, for every employee who leaves, multiple others will choose to stay due to development opportunities and having a leader who believes in them.

In general, helping employees fulfill their promise does not prompt them to grow wings and fly away at the first opportunity. By contrast, it tends to make them want to stay and thrive where they are.

4. Easier Employee Recruitment

Happy employees who stay around due to authenticity in leadership are perhaps the best demonstrators of strong company culture. They tend to make others want to work at the company too. Better retention and lower turnover mean less money and effort are expended in replacing departing employees. It also shows the outside world that this business is a terrific place to work. And that means that when it’s time to fill open positions, it will be easier to find highly qualified candidates.

Leadership development should never stamp out a person’s individuality. It shouldn’t turn leadership teams into armies of clones but should actually help emerging leaders more fully develop their authenticity.

Trying to be someone you’re not in order to fulfill subtle or overt expectations of “what leadership is” quickly becomes exhausting. And it doesn’t produce good results, either. When leadership development embraces diversity and encourages leaders to understand and build upon their own greatest strengths, however, it encourages authenticity in leadership.

Leadership coaching can help the leader who for whatever reason has difficulty with authenticity. After all, people want to work for genuine, honest individuals rather than “empty suits” who check fictitious leadership boxes.

Authenticity in leadership is hugely positive and should be encouraged at every organization. I discuss authenticity in-depth in my latest book The Intelligent Leader because I believe it to be of primary importance. If you’re interested in learning more about authenticity and Intelligent Leadership, I encourage you to check out my books, including my latest book, The Intelligent Leader.

Strictly top-down leadership has fallen out of favor as corporate agility has become increasingly essential to success.

Agility requires unconventional thinking, and a certain amount of willingness to take risks. 

For companies to be able to pivot and take advantage of opportunities before their competition does, they must have teams that are able and willing to take initiative rather than waiting for direction from the top.

Teams that don’t take initiative – for whatever reason – are less engaged in their work than initiative-taking teams. Why bother coming up with new or better ways to accomplish things if initiative isn’t rewarded, or worse, if it is actively discouraged?

Unfortunately, when teams aren’t ready to take the initiative, they can rapidly lose ground to competitors that have and use initiative. What can leaders do to encourage initiative-taking in teams? It involves both the leader’s words and actions. Here are some of the most important ones.

Encouraging Risk and Avoiding Criticism of Failure

Encouraging teams to take reasonable risks won’t work if every failure is criticized. Teams won’t come up with new ideas if new ideas are consistently shot down. When you encourage risk, you must have a plan for coping when those risks occasionally don’t pay off.

Teams need to know that if they take a risk and succeed, they will be rewarded and encouraged. They also need to know that if they take a risk and fail, they won’t feel like they’re going to lose their job, or that their initiatives will be shut down altogether. You don’t have to tolerate risk for risk’s sake, but you do have to accept that initiatives will occasionally fail.

Communicating Clearly and Listening to Feedback

For teams to take initiative toward the fulfillment of goals, they need to know what those goals are. As a leader, you must tell your team members what the organizational goals are, and why those goals are what they are.

Effective communication requires both talking and listening.

At the same time, you must be willing to listen to feedback from your team. Team members may have questions about certain goals, and you should be able to answer them without becoming defensive. Moreover, it’s worth your while to consider their feedback. As the people who are closest to the actual work, they often have good ideas about better ways to accomplish objectives. If you only talk and don’t listen, you can miss out on some great ideas.

Setting Goals while Setting an Example

Part of your work as a leader involves setting goals. You know the organizational goals and the role your team is supposed to play. But merely setting the goals isn’t enough. As a leader, you must set an example through your commitment to the goals and through your behavior as a leader.

In my book The Intelligent Leader, I refer to my favorite definition of leadership, which is “an example for others to follow.” The best leaders design their lives and their work around their obligations to others, striving to become better people and demonstrating that they themselves will put in the work necessary to achieve goals.

Developing teams that take initiative is really a matter of developing a better corporate culture. When the culture consistently shows the value of taking initiative, people and teams pick up on that and act accordingly. Conversely, when a company says it wants initiative, but then undermines it or actively discourages reasonable risk-taking, teams quickly pick up on that and initiative fizzles out.

Leadership is the single most important factor in strong corporate culture, and it is a principle that I have worked with as part of many leadership coaching situations. Leaders may be competent and eager to lead effectively, yet they may not realize just how strong their influence is on their teams. Leadership coaching can assist leaders in understanding not only how to fulfill their potential, but how important it is to understand how they are perceived by those they lead.

Today’s businesses can’t afford to forego initiative. Every day, companies develop innovations that threaten to disrupt entire industries, and companies without initiative-taking teams cannot compete effectively for very long. The quality of leadership is a key determinant of how eagerly teams embrace taking initiative. If you are interested in learning more about leadership development and corporate culture, I encourage you to check out my books, including my latest book, The Intelligent Leader.

The ability to deliver difficult news with poise, compassion, and professionalism is a leadership skill that people don’t talk about much. Yet it’s incredibly important.

How you guide your team during tough times shows what caliber leader you are.

Sometimes bad things happen. Projects are canceled, layoffs are on the horizon, or perhaps a company division is being shuttered. Sometimes an employee or prized client dies unexpectedly or becomes embroiled in a criminal matter. And as a leader, it’s up to you to deliver the news to your team.

Intelligent Leadership, as I discuss in my books, often demands first stepping back and asking yourself a few key questions. With bad news, that first question should be, “How would I want someone to break this news to me?” You certainly wouldn’t want momentous news delivered by email. Fortunately, there are ways to talk about difficult topics in person so that you deliver solid information, preserve everyone’s dignity, and take the first steps toward a workable solution. Here’s how.

Don’t Wait Too Long to Speak with Your Team

Even if no one has mentioned the bad news, people have ways of picking up bits and pieces. And often they pick up just enough to fuel rumors. Wait until you have verifiable facts to present, but beyond that, don’t wait longer than you have to. People are hungry for real information, and if they don’t get it, they’re more likely to spin innuendo and rumor into wildly inaccurate stories you’ll have to dispel. Get the facts, verify them, and then call your team meeting.

Be Honest, Transparent, and Accountable

Never lie about bad news. If 10 people will definitely be laid off, don’t say that “layoffs are possible.” As an Intelligent Leader, you are also considered a trustworthy source of key information, so it’s essential that you be perfectly honest and transparent. There may be details that you cannot share for legal reasons but share what you can in a straightforward manner.

Honesty and transparency are mandatory for giving bad news while retaining your team’s trust.

And if you have some responsibility for what happened, own it. If your company will not have a booth at a major trade expo because you dropped the ball and didn’t register in time, don’t obfuscate or pass the buck. People may be angry or disappointed, but they will respect you for holding yourself accountable.

Keep Your Tone Appropriate

Now is not the time to crack jokes or make light of things. Deliver difficult news in a tone that is appropriate to the situation, particularly if a colleague or leader has died. There will be time for lightness and humor later, once people have dealt with the situation and healed from it. There is no point in trying to make unpleasant or sad news better by making light of the situation.

Avoid Behaving in Ways That Could Be Perceived as Callous

This is a case where a leader’s self-awareness is critically important. Be aware of people’s moods and of the weight of bad news and behave appropriately. If half your team is being laid off due to budget cuts, don’t fly first class or show everyone pictures of your new car, for example.

Self-awareness allows you to “read the room,” which is especially important in the aftermath of bad news. Keeping the respect of your team requires that you attune your behavior to the circumstances, even if you had no hand in creating them.

Executive coaching doesn’t always cover the art of delivering bad news, but perhaps it should. You’re a leader in both good times and bad, and how you handle yourself can either increase trust and respect or tear it down. At some point, almost every leader will be in the position of breaking the bad news to people they genuinely care about. Practicing good self-awareness and preparing yourself for that eventuality can ensure that your leadership stays strong even when your team has to accept a harsh blow.

People’s roles in the workplace are becoming increasingly specialized. Collaboration helps businesses make the most of everyone’s strengths.

Collaboration helps organizations make the most of everyone’s skills and talents.

Collaboration helps solve problems, increases team cohesion, and helps people learn from each other. It often makes processes more efficient by tapping into the unique skills of multiple people. It’s more than just cooperating or working together in an agreeable manner. Collaboration is more deliberate and directed and is often set up to achieve specific goals.

How a leader behaves can facilitate or undermine collaboration. In fact, the ability to facilitate effective collaboration should be considered as one of the key components of leadership. The following are five ways that leaders may unintentionally undermine collaboration, ultimately hampering productivity and team effectiveness.

1. Communicating Poorly

Leaders who allow people to “silo” information or who communicate with one team member and expect them to spread the word among the team prevent teams from having the information they need. Likewise, leaders who are overly redundant, sending emails and memos and calling about the same issue can slow teamwork. Communicate clearly, concisely, and with the whole team so everyone stays on the same page.

2. Saying One Thing and Doing Something Else

One of the worst things that leaders can do is to claim to value everyone’s input and then make unilateral decisions. A corollary is a leader who encourages collaboration but refuses to participate in any way in the collaborative process. Transparency, honesty, and follow-through are essential leadership practices in a collaborative environment.

3. Listening Selectively

Leaders who only “listen” to what they want to hear, or who only listen to input from senior team members not only quash morale, they may miss out on some valuable insights. You never know who will have a great solution to a problem, or whose suggestion might make the collaboration process better. Intelligent leaders listen to all collaborators.

Leaders know that excellent communication means listening as well as talking.

4. Using Controlling Behavior

Sometimes leaders set up a collaborative environment and then proceed to control every aspect of it. Giving up control can be difficult for some leaders, but in a collaborative environment, it is necessary to dispense with some control. You’re still the leader and can still exercise control when necessary. But you have to let the collaborative process flow, even if there is some trial and error involved at first.

5. Doing an End Run Around Collaboration

Picture a collaborative team working on a new design. They’ve done all the calculations, but wisely decide to let the calculations “rest” over the weekend so they can review them on Monday with fresh eyes. What do you think happens to the collaborative spirit when the leader swoops in on Friday afternoon and insists on submitting the calculations in an attempt to “get it done?” Such actions can instantly subvert collaborative spirit.

Today’s leaders aren’t typically the authoritarians that leaders may have been in previous generations. Businesses have learned the value of collaboration for making the best use of people’s individual talents, and leaders who intentionally or unintentionally subvert collaboration ultimately hurt the team and the business.

Leadership coaching can help leaders to strengthen behaviors that encourage and improve collaboration, as long as those leaders are willing to take an honest look at themselves and potentially give up some control. Leadership coaches frequently work with clients on skills like communication, delegation, and conflict resolution – all of which are immensely valuable in the collaborative workplace.

For collaboration to thrive, leadership must behave in ways that encourage it to thrive, neither abdicating control nor doubling down on control. It’s a fine line but knowing how to enable productive collaboration is one of the most important components of leadership today. Leadership coaching is all about helping leaders reach their full potential so that their organizations can meet and exceed goals.

Leaders are role models. They can’t help but be.

Leading by example requires setting the best possible example of attitudes, values, words, and behaviors.

Whether they are good or bad role models is another story, however. In my book The Intelligent Leader, I define a leader simply as “an example for others to follow.” Not only do the best leaders epitomize the values of a team or organization, they do so without bullying or cajoling. They share their experience without falling back on, “In my day, we did it this way.”

Intelligent Leaders recognize that there is a fine line between confidence and arrogance, and they have the self-awareness to know when they’re stepping too close to that line. They genuinely have the best interests of the team and the organization at heart, and because of this, people want to do their utmost for them.

Intelligent leaders also understand the value of two qualities that at first glance may not seem very “leaderlike”: humility and vulnerability. Here’s why those attributes matter so much.

Humility vs. Hubris

Humility is strongly attached to reality, while hubris is often divorced from it. Hubris focuses on the leader him- or herself, while humility focuses on the success of the mission. Hubris often results from zooming past the line between confidence and arrogance, and while the sheer self-assurance of hubris might provide momentum for a while, over the long term, the results can be disastrous.

While hubris tends to lead to toxicity, incivility, and hostility, humility leads to respect, tolerance, and mutually beneficial outcomes. Humility in a leader is far likelier to lead to a culture of lasting positive action.

Being Vulnerable vs. Being Unassailable

Intelligent Leaders don’t wear capes and are secure enough to show vulnerability.

In The Intelligent Leader, I go into great detail about the power of vulnerability, which almost sounds like an oxymoron. Vulnerability isn’t about being weak, but about being open and transparent. What vulnerability does is open leaders up to new possibilities and new ways of thinking. It builds trust among team members and shows that you, a leader, are human and not some Teflon-coated species that is invulnerable to what the world dishes out.

Vulnerability also goes hand in hand with accountability. Would an invulnerable, overconfident leader readily admit to making mistakes and go about rectifying the situation? It’s unlikely. When a leader pretends to be perfect, the pressure builds up over time, and cracks in the armor of invulnerability will inevitably appear.

Teams Want to Be Led by Real Human Beings

Teams crave strong leadership, but “strong leadership” doesn’t mean leadership that is removed, unaccountable, and always right. Strong leadership – or Intelligent Leadership as I call it – is fully human and strives for continual improvement.

The leader and role model demonstrates the values, words, and actions that get results and build up, rather than oppress the team. People naturally want to follow a leader who not only knows how to get great results but knows how to do so while helping team members develop their own skills and competencies in a virtuous cycle of advancement.

The seemingly invulnerable, hubristic leader may get short-term results, but it’s an unsustainable leadership model. Leaders, no matter how well-trained, skilled, and experienced, are still human, and will still make mistakes. And hubristic leaders don’t receive much sympathy when they are shown to have feet of clay.

Leadership development is in many ways, human development. Outstanding leaders have combinations of skills and attributes that get great results in a specific context. But they don’t “arrive” at being leaders one day and no longer need leadership development. Even the greatest leaders understand that their leadership is a work in progress, and that for that work to continue, they must have the trust and goodwill of their teams.

If you would like to learn more about Intelligent Leadership, I encourage you to check out my books, including my latest book, The Intelligent Leader.

Conflict is a basic and inevitable part of the human experience.

Workplace conflicts have been around as long as workplaces have.

Sometimes we even experience conflict within ourselves that we must resolve. Most of the time, we think about conflict as between two or more people, between two groups, or in existing in multiple directions within a group. Without conflict, we wouldn’t have forward progress, changes in perspective, or even movie plots. There’s no way to completely avoid it in this life.

While people generally don’t like conflict, a total lack of conflict often signals the absence of effective interaction, and that’s not good either. Avoiding conflict isn’t effective except in the cases of very minor conflicts where the outcomes don’t matter very much. Leaders who avoid conflict themselves and who quash any conflicts within their teams do themselves and their teams a disservice in the long run.

It is possible to look at conflict as an opportunity, however. Conflict means that people have different perspectives and ideas, and in the workplace, these different perspectives and ideas often have to do with priorities and with how work is to be accomplished. Healthy conflict resolution can lead to better ways of doing things and ultimately benefit all parties involved.

Conflict is acceptable when it presents different points of view, and when it prevents harmful tendencies like “groupthink.” But constant conflict shouldn’t be normalized. Conflict as a standard operating procedure erodes trust and drives good people away. It’s important to know the difference between healthy conflict and unhealthy conflict (which is often about control and abuse of power). It’s also important for leaders to understand conflict resolution techniques and when to use them.

Why Conflict Resolution Is So Important

Unfortunately, there are leaders who dislike conflict so much that they avoid stepping in, even when conflict threatens goal attainment and team cohesiveness. This is a sure way to derail projects and watch good employees leave for better opportunities.

Sometimes it may feel to a leader like negotiating conflicts is similar to separating siblings fighting over a toy: something that shouldn’t happen in the first place. And while it can be tempting to ignore conflicts perceived to be minor or irrelevant, those conflicts are often based on something much deeper and more profound than what it looks like on the surface. A “silly” argument over having to ask for more printer paper may actually be about control and power, for example.

Conflicts that go unresolved, that are ignored or swept under the rug don’t actually go away. It can be easy for the busy leader to think that a conflict has been resolved because complaints have stopped or because everyone seems to be on task. Unfortunately, however, those unresolved conflicts have a way of re-erupting at inopportune moments, like when people are under stress about meeting an important deadline.

But conflict resolution is also important because it demonstrates that conflicts can be resolved. People can have differences of opinion and still work together effectively. It makes collaboration more likely, and it can ultimately strengthen teams because they’ve worked through tough times together and come out ahead.

What Conflict Resolution Is

Conflict resolution respects each participant’s point of view and does not tolerate personal attacks. Leadership and conflict resolution are about knowing when conflicting parties are capable of coming to a satisfactory solution by themselves and knowing when it’s time to step in.

Personal attacks and jumping to assign blame have no place in constructive conflict resolution.

Leaders with good conflict resolution skills know when to advise a complainant that they have the ability and the power to solve their own conflict, and they know when a conflict has grown to the point where they need to intervene. They perform any gathering of evidence in the strictest confidence.

When leaders must help resolve a conflict, they know that they must take as much of the emotion out of the process as possible. They must also encourage the people who are in conflict to try to separate their emotions from their reasoning to avoid making bad decisions.

Conflict resolution looks forward, not backward. It requires emotional intelligence and self-awareness and works best when all parties to the conflict have these attributes. Conflict resolution seeks to understand the situation, asks the right questions, and listens to what people have to say.

Finally, good conflict resolution builds accountability into the solution it arrives at. It doesn’t let anyone off the hook (except for victims of clear abuse of power) but holds everyone accountable for their part in solving the problem.

What Conflict Resolution Is Not

Conflict resolution is not thinking, “Oh, Jim and Jerry are arguing over the monthly financial report. They always do that.” Conflict resolution doesn’t belittle one person’s point of view or invalidate their very real feelings. It doesn’t excuse a party to a conflict by saying, “That’s just how she is,” or tell one party to ignore the actions of another party.

Leaders who resolve conflicts effectively don’t wait around, thinking the whole thing will blow over, until their hand is forced. They don’t confront people in front of others, try to “divide and conquer,” or play individuals off against one another.

In short, leaders who know how to resolve conflicts accept that conflict exists, but they don’t accept unacceptable behaviors, either in others or in themselves.

Effects of Good Conflict Resolution

When workplace conflicts are resolved quickly, fairly, and with accountability all around, you can actually end up with a stronger team. When people know their concerns are taken seriously, they develop more trust in the organization and their team. The result is a more positive corporate culture overall, which has benefits ranging from lower turnover to higher productivity and earnings.

When leadership and conflict resolution are intertwined, it sets a good example for teams. Team members may see that they have the power to overcome differences, and when they see good conflict resolution skills in action, they may adopt them for themselves, so that fewer conflicts bubble up to the level where they need intervention from someone higher up.

Resolving conflicts builds resilience, both on a personal and on a team level. That’s because successfully resolving conflict is a powerful experience. It draws on people’s empathy, makes them think, and requires that they work through something challenging. People are empowered when they constructively resolve conflicts, and the strength they gain is something they can call upon again and again in their professional lives.

Effects of Bad Conflict Resolution

If you have ever worked in a toxic workplace, you have almost certainly experienced the effects of poor conflict resolution. You probably also experienced low quality work (on the part of yourself or others), high turnover, and perhaps strained relationships with customers as well. A single toxic worker can cost a company tens of thousands of dollars, and once an entire team or workplace becomes toxic the results can be devastating.

Lack of appropriate and constructive conflict resolution can eventually turn an entire workplace toxic.

Bad conflict resolution can lead to problems like:

• Poor communication
• Low morale
• Proliferating gossip
• Verbal abuse
• A culture of blame
• People taking credit for work they didn’t do
• People who fail to do their part

Most of these problems can be avoided by practicing good conflict resolution and having those difficult conversations that are necessary when people or teams are at odds with one another.

How to Learn Conflict Resolution Skills

Many leadership development programs offer modules on conflict resolution. And many colleges and universities offer courses in conflict resolution for managers and other leaders. These can be terrific resources for the leader who wants to improve their conflict resolution skills.

But simply learning about the skills in the classroom isn’t enough. If you want to truly develop your conflict resolution skills, you have to refresh them and use them. And you have to learn from your mistakes.

The baseline skills for being able to resolve conflicts in a healthy manner are good listening, emotional intelligence, patience, impartiality, positivity, and excellent communication. With these baseline skills, the following techniques can be useful:

How Conflict Resolution Complements Other Leadership Skills

Remember the baseline skills for effective conflict resolution listed above? Well, excellent listening, emotional intelligence, patience, impartiality, positivity, and strong communication are all essential leadership skills as well. In fact, it’s safe to say that leaders who consistently demonstrate excellent leadership skills are much likelier to be effective in helping resolve conflicts.

In my latest book, The Intelligent Leader, I discuss seven dimensions of leadership in depth. They are as follows:

1. Thinking differently, thinking big
2. The vulnerability decision
3. Having a mindset of duty
4. Leveraging gifts and addressing gaps
5. Having the courage to execute with pride, passion, and precision
6. Staying present and being vigilant
7. Correcting course when necessary

Can you see how each of these dimensions of leadership contributes to the ability to resolve conflicts? Thinking differently and thinking big helps in developing solutions to conflicts that may seem overwhelming or intractable.

The fundamentals of outstanding leadership are also the fundamentals of conflict resolution.

Vulnerability demonstrates openness, and willingness to listen to hard truths. The mindset of duty pushes leaders to have those difficult conversations surrounding conflicts, even though they don’t necessarily look forward to it. Leveraging gifts and addressing gaps is about being better all around – including better at helping resolve conflicts.

Courage is clearly a necessary attribute for people who strive to resolve conflicts, and they must be present and vigilant so they can fully understand the situation and help develop the best solution. Finally, in the course of resolving conflict, it’s possible to become sidelined or to go off-track. Outstanding leaders know how to recognize this and get back on course toward reaching goals.

How Coaching Can Help Leaders Improve Conflict Resolution Skills

People don’t usually engage leadership coaches specifically to help further develop and solidify conflict resolution skills. But leadership coaching can be a remarkably effective tool for the leader who must resolve conflicts among individuals or teams. Leadership coaching is about recognizing strengths as well as skills gaps, and it is about further strengthening those strengths while bridging the gaps.

If a coaching client specifically asks for help in developing conflict resolution skills, the coaching process will look closely at how the client deals with conflicts now. What have been the results? What has gone right? What has gone wrong? If during the course of the coaching engagement, the client is called upon to mediate or help resolve a conflict, they can not only practice skills they worked on with the coach but can ask for the coach’s feedback on the techniques used in resolving the conflict.

A pitching coach doesn’t prescribe which pitches a baseball player uses on the mound. Rather, they work with both physical and mental skills off the mound, helping the pitcher assimilate them until they become second nature. A similar dynamic takes place between the leadership coach and the client.

For coaching clients who specifically set out to improve their ability to handle, mediate, and help resolve conflicts, coaching provides baseline assessment, feedback, and another assessment at the end of the coaching engagement, so that the client can measure their progress in meeting their goal.

Conclusion

It’s nice to imagine a workplace that is free of conflict, where everyone’s goals are always aligned, and personalities and perspectives never clash. But if you think a little harder, that conflict-free workplace would be devoid of the range of experiences and viewpoints that lead to breakthroughs and innovations. It would be boring.

The fact is, whenever people come together to accomplish something, there will be conflict. People will always see things differently. A cardboard “6” lying on the ground is a “9” to someone viewing it from the opposite direction. People view processes, instructions, and strategies differently too, and sometimes the result of those differences is conflict.

Leaders simply can’t assume conflicts won’t occur or ignore them when they do. What may seem like a minor difference of opinion to an outsider can feel overwhelmingly significant to the people engaged in conflict. Minimizing, ignoring, or sweeping conflicts under the rug only fixes things temporarily. One mark of a true leader is a willingness to recognize true conflict, understand it, and intervene when necessary.

One mark of a true leader is a willingness to understand and help resolve conflicts.

The leader who practices good listening, emotional intelligence, empathy, impartiality, and positivity on a daily basis is likelier to have teams that demonstrate these same qualities. And teams that fully assimilate these qualities are likely to be made up of members who feel empowered to handle conflict in a mature and professional manner. And in those cases where team members are unable to come to a resolution, they have built enough trust with their leader to enlist their help.

Leaders who shy away from involvement in team conflicts may turn to leadership coaching to help build their conflict resolution skills. While leadership coaching isn’t designed to teach conflict resolution, it is designed to help people hone their own conflict resolution skills and practice them in a safe environment, so that when the real thing erupts, they’re ready.

If you’re interested in learning how Intelligent Leadership skills empower leaders to excel at all their duties – including conflict resolution – I invite you to check out my books, including my latest book, The Intelligent Leader.

Glossary of Terms

Accountability – being responsible for what you do, fulfilling obligations and not using excuses when you don’t. Making things right after making mistakes.

Conflict – a disagreement between people who have opposing principles or opinions

Conflict resolution – a way for parties to find an amicable solution to a disagreement among them. Conflict resolution involves listening, negotiation, and often compromise or collaboration.

Corporate culture – beliefs, values, and behaviors that influence how an organization’s members interact and handle business.

Emotional intelligence – the ability to be aware of, to control, and to appropriately express emotions in interpersonal relationships, whether professional or personal

Groupthink – an insidious practice of making decisions or thinking as a group that discourages individual responsibility as well as creativity or innovation

Leadership coaching – a professional partnership designed to bring about sustained behavioral change and transform the client’s working life in a significant and measurable way

Self-Awareness – conscious knowledge and “ownership” of one’s own motives, feelings, and character and one’s effect on others

Toxic workplace – a workplace where the people, environment, or the work itself cause significant disruption to life both in and outside the workplace. Severely toxic workplaces can cause physical symptoms.