One of the dominant assumptions in leadership theory is that some people are meant to lead and others are meant to follow. This assumption is based on the belief that the mindset and behaviours of a leader—to want to take charge, to be dominant, confident, and optimistic—are completely different from the mindset and behaviours of […]
One resilient conclusion from leadership commentators and observers is the connection between extraversion and leadership—that is, extraverted individuals are more likely to become leaders than introverted individuals. Leadership research, however, continuously calls into question this conclusion. Consistently over time, the results are mixed: some research will show a link between extraversion and leadership, and other […]
Read More… from Why Extraverts Don’t Necessarily Make Good Leaders
Competition is often a catalyst to productive work. Just as competition among companies spur them to design superior products and offer superior services in an effort to gain competitive advantage, individuals can respond in the same way by increasing the quality of their work and increasing their results in order to “win” whatever the competition […]
Read More… from How Competition Devolves Into Conflict Between Two People of Equal Status
In general, previous research shows a linear relationship between intelligence and perceived leadership effectiveness, with the line heading steadily northeast (the more intelligent, the higher your actual and perceived leadership capabilities). Intuitively, this would seem to make sense: you need smart people to make the right decisions, to resolve problems or even to gather and inspire […]
The annual leadership survey conducted by the University of North Carolina’s Kenan-Flagler Business School was focused in 2015 on the development of globally competent leaders. Global competence is required for success as a leader in today’s ‘flat’ world, yet many leaders are weak in this area — and companies may not be training them with […]
Read More… from What Does It Take to Develop Globally Competent Leaders?
The Center for Creative Leadership (CCL®) conducted research on the role of the word bossy in the workplace. Their results show a consistent trend that being bossy in the workplace has negative consequences, and those consequences are particularly harsh for women. Bossy coworkers are described as unpopular and unlikely to be successful in the future. […]
A Center for Creative Leadership (CCL) survey of first-time managers attending its Maximizing Your Leadership Potential (MLP) program offers some insight into the challenges first-time managers face. The 12 top leadership challenges, according to survey respondents, ranged from doing more with less (mentioned by just 5.4% of respondents), working with a range of employees (14.2%), […]
Read More… from Why First-Time Managers Need More Development Support
The next generation of leaders will emerge from the young people entering the workforce today. The best organizations and their leaders have begun thinking about the strengths and weaknesses of this next generation: what competencies they will need to succeed now and in the future. A CCL survey of current leaders from the corporate and […]
Read More… from Develop Next Generation Leaders: Start Early and Focus on Adaptability
Tall men have a greater chance of becoming leaders. As unfair as this may seem, and despite the obvious exceptions from Napoleon to CEO superstar Jack Welch, decades of research have consistently borne out the fact that men in leadership positions — from U.S. presidents to CEO’s — are likely taller than average. Additional research […]
Read More… from Potential Leaders: Height Helps But So Does Being Smart
In most hierarchies, power is malleable, which means that it can change. A leader at the top can lose his or her power, and be replaced by subordinates who have, usually through their superior skills and accomplishments, managed to rise through the hierarchy. One of the characteristics of highly skilled subordinates is their ability to […]
