Practicing Leadership: Skill Development and Commitment
Why Don’t We Practice Leadership Like We Do Other Skills?
Generally, it is accepted that we are prepared to spend time practicing learning an instrument, language, sporting skill or similar but are less willing to apply genuine practice time to develop leadership skills.
The Role of Practice and Coaching
I often facilitate leadership training in a group setting and conduct coaching and mentoring sessions with attendees supporting the learning. The face to face 1:1 coaching session content often refers back to the leadership training itself. This is powerful in that training rarely leads to lasting change in itself – something most of us already know.
Reinforcing the knowledge gained through practice and support is key. The opportunity to reflect internally and share with your coach or mentor adds weight to the ‘stickability’ of the training concept, content and the growth in ability for the budding leader.
Is Leadership Learned or Innate?
The age-old leadership question remains – are leaders born or taught – nature or nurture? I am not seeking to answer this today, however the question relates.
If you subscribe to the theory that leadership is predominantly learned, then it is natural to assume that to become proficient in leadership application, many weeks, months and years of practice is required.
Malcolm Gladwell and others refer to the premise that it takes 10,000 hours of practice to become proficient in something. Fair comment, even if this figure seems a little general, the point is that it takes many, many hours of practice to become highly proficient. However, the anomaly remains that most leaders I know assume that this skill is something that comes with a title and/or somehow automatically derives from holding a management position for a period.
This is perplexing and is inconsistent with the understanding that we need to practice to build capability in other areas of our lives.
Why Is Leadership Treated Differently?
Is it because leadership is less tangible than hearing someone playing a musical instrument over time; become more capable playing golf, as measured by a reducing score or handicap or other examples of measured improvement?
The perceived intangibles of leadership are difficult to describe to someone who has not felt the pleasure of leadership such as:
- Turning around a ‘problem team member’
- Helping someone through a difficult situation
- Seeing improved results, profit or other measurable outcomes
The benefits of leadership success are some of the most powerful emotional accomplishments an individual can feel. Yet, until these are actually felt and the wins uncovered, a commitment to leadership is possibly one of the great contradictions of business. The role may require it but that does not mean leadership is actually provided to any depth.
The Emotional Hook of Leadership
Leadership is often talked about. It is a key to business success. The links are obvious, yet we still struggle to genuinely encourage and support our newer leaders to a level where they are comfortable performing more than transactional aspects of the role.
The desire to practice and become truly proficient and efficient as a leader requires us as experienced leaders to help expose the emotional benefits and connections as soon as possible in the leadership journey.
This emotional success and association with leadership as more than simply a concept or byword drives ongoing commitment and transformational change in an individual.
Once experienced, this once elusive success quickly becomes a tangible benefit for those being led and the potential to truly influence outcomes.
Final Thoughts
Ultimately, leadership deserves the same level of deliberate, ongoing practice we give to any skill we truly value.
The difference is that its rewards aren’t just personal, they’re broader and deeper than that. When leaders commit to developing themselves with intention, the ripple effect touches teams, organisations and outcomes in powerful ways.
The challenge, and the opportunity, is to treat leadership not as a role we inherit, but as a craft we continually refine. The more we connect with its emotional impact, the more visible, valuable and transformative our leadership becomes.
