[January 29, 2014] Leadership is neither linear, nor is it one-dimensional. It is not linear because critical skills of leaders are not gained at a consistent or predictable pace; if at all. And, leadership is not one-dimensional because it is complex, multifaceted, requires focused effort to learn, and those skills can be lost.
We have all read books and articles on leadership and perhaps have attended a few seminars that teach leadership as a subject just like history or anthropology – studying the component parts and key aspects of leadership found in the best and well-known leaders. While these are very helpful and often useful to build a foundation of knowledge, they often give little attention to the true complexity of the subject.
Leadership is considered a skill that is gained through life-long learning, but it would more accurately be described as a lifestyle. A leader does not change their behaviors at work, in social settings, or at home – not the true leader anyway.
Those attributes that make a successful leader are an inseparable part of the leader’s personality. As the leader matures, so do those leader skills change to reflect those leaders’ work and social environment.
“Entrepreneurs have a great ability to create change, be flexible, build companies and cultivate the kind of work environment in which they want to work.” – Tory Burch
Leadership is complex because people are complex and ever changing.