The 5 skills for effective leadership

ARE you an effective leader? Context matters. Just consider the recent departure of Anthony Jenkins as CEO of Barclays. A different set of priorities apparently required a different sort of leader. Equally, an effective leader in one company may not be able to work the same magic elsewhere because the circumstances are different. And one must never ignore the inconvenient truth that luck casts a long shadow over performance. Leadership development is big business but are companies getting good value?

Despite lots of time and money being spent on churning out leaders, it is not clear that the results justify the means. Outcomes are hard to measure. Cause and effect is difficult to establish. Yet spending often justified as an investment continues unabated. The solution lies not in more spending but in questioning where and how the money is spent. Is there something that all senior leaders must excel in regardless of context? The answer unsurprisingly is yes. Surprisingly little time and attention is devoted to five everyday skills.

1. The scarcest and arguably the most valuable resource a leader has is time. Leaders today are like jugglers keeping an increasing number of balls in the air while walking the tightrope of time. Most leaders struggle with this balancing act. Working longer hours is not a sustainable solution. Neither is multitasking. While no one solution works for everyone, leaders need guidance on how to manage time effectively. Unfortunately, few if any initiatives aimed at senior leaders focus on this very important dimension. Leaders are left to their own devices and most struggle to overcome this challenge. A little improvement can have an asymmetric impact.