At its very essence, leadership is about influence.
Classically, it’s the ability to influence people within organisations to align their efforts towards a shared goal or strategy.
A brief snapshot of the historic leadership landscape looks like this:
- There is a rich history of leadership studies, way back to Plato, but under focus since the 60s.
- There are numerous definitions, theories, styles, functions, competencies, and historical examples of leadership.
- Academically, there are 6-10 main theories.
- In terms of Leadership Types, there are essentially 5.
- With regard to the key scholars, there are a dozen or so.
And amidst all this study on leadership one will find considerable disagreement and be left with many questions. One thing is universally acknowledged – the complexity of leadership.
Luckily for you, we at Aspiral believe we have found a unique and pragmatic way to tackle the adventure that is the field of leadership. A hack, perhaps.
And here is a clue:
Tom Peters, a living great of leadership, said this of Warren Bennis, a fellow legend in the field:
“Warren Bennis – master practitioner, researcher, and
theoretician all in one – has managed to create a practical
primer for leaders without sacrificing an iota of necessary
subtlety and complexity. No topic is more important; no more
able and caring person has attacked it.”
At Aspiral we believe this to be true. Warren Bennis was onto something. Tom Peters knew it. We know it. And soon you will too.
So, that’s essentially the FIRST bit of our secret sauce:
The fact that we’ve managed to craft a distinctive and pragmatic framework for developing leaders, without losing the ‘subtlety and complexity’ of the endeavour. Thank you, Mr. Bennis!
This distinctive and pragmatic development framework is essentially captured in this leadership course, our carefully selected modules, and our unique, coaching based guidance throughout.
The SECOND bit of our secret sauce is the fact that the full complexity of leadership starts with two fundamental principles, as captured in these two Bennis quotes:
“Becoming a leader is synonymous with becoming yourself. It is precisely that simple, and it is also that difficult.”
“The process of becoming a leader is similar, if not identical, to becoming a fully integrated human being.”
Warren Bennis
“Both endeavours he said, were grounded in self-discovery.”
These two quotes guide the philosophical fundamentals of this course and much of the development approach we take in the next 10 modules.
What it means for you, on this course, is this:
- Becoming and being your authentic self is key.
- This may not be easy.
- We take a developmental approach to guiding you accordingly.
- By carefully understanding and following the principles and practices of this course, you will, over time, become a more mature, more integrated and more authentic human being and leader.
From a traditional leadership perspective, we are also aligned with Values Based Leadership, authentic leadership, and a development approach.
Summary:
- At its very essence, leadership is about influence, usually in organisations.
- The leadership landscape is age-old, and there are numerous definitions, theories, styles, functions, competencies, and historical examples of leadership, and noted scholars.
- One thing is universally acknowledged – the complexity of leadership.
- Aspiral believe we have found a unique and pragmatic way to distil the subtlety and complexity.
- The full complexity of leadership starts with a two fundamental principles.
- Developing leadership authenticity, or becoming yourself, is vital.
- Leadership maturity, or becoming fully integrated, is key.
- This may take some effort on your behalf.
- We take a developmental approach, through coaching, to guide you on your way.
Further Resources:
- Bennis, Warren G. On Becoming a Leader. Reading, Mass. :Addison-Wesley Pub. Co., 1989. A definitive text from the 80s that was revised in the 2000s.
