“Leadership Master” Book Tuning: Three “Dos & Don’t” in Leadership Classification

The function of leaders is to lead- set direction, foster motivation, guide the problem solving. Leadership is not just about the title only, that all of us--to the degree we take responsibility for our own sphere of influence, no matter what formal title we might hold or not, have the opportunity to lead at the different level and exercise leadership influence continually. What are “Do & Don’t”s in leadership classification?
Do not just categorize leadership seniority based on the tile or age, but based on the profundity of leadership insight and influence: People tend to make leadership very complex, but in its most simple form, leadership is an influence. Senior leadership roles are not just ceremonial or facilitating roles, they are also visionary and innovative roles. Digital leadership needs to be highly intelligent and highly influential. visionary leadership is crucial to zoom into the future as if it were closer because leadership is all about future and change. This is useful when defining leadership roles and levels when identifying leader development areas, and when assessing leadership insight, skills and experience. Leaders do need to focus on the bottom line but also apply visionary and strategic thinking, be both explorer and expert, plus enthusiasm, and unique personal leadership styles. All great leaders are continually looking for ways to take themselves and their people to the next level. Very often managers think that the way to motivate employees are the same things they themselves are motivated by, but each individual is unique. Leaders need to know their staff well and provide opportunities in the workplace for staff to unleash their potential and improve their career satisfaction.
Do not simply categorize leadership based on genders or races, but based on leadership strengths and cognitive differences: Cognition can happen in many different ways and their combinations. Enhancing our “description of the world and ourselves within it” is cognition and differs from ordinary, and usually habitual thoughts. If you categorize leadership only based on the differences on the surface, that can get lost in the profound understanding of the diversity. Because the identifiable sectors reflecting (say, gender, age and ethnicity) themselves each encompass a wide range of diversity of thought and distinctive leadership strengths. By simply appointing representatives of each sector to the leadership teams may well add some degree of diversity, and yet possibly fall considerably short of the breadth of diversity properly sought, as the diversity of thought more often does not come from the diverse physical identity; but from one’s thought processes, cognitive difference, thinking and learning habit, experience or skill sets.
Either categorize or practice leadership, do not make it too complicated, or overly simplify it as well. Do follow the principle: Everything should be as simple as possible, but not simpler: When people try to neatly and distinctly package, characterize, and compartmentalize the traits, skills, competencies, IQs and EQs of leaders and managers they tend to oversimplify their purpose, role and function. What is more important: Having a catalog of traits or gauging the impact, the effectiveness and efficiency of leadership and management on followers and organizations.  There is understandably tension sometimes between the creative leadership and the administrative management, the point is: effective leadership, whether artistic or administrative, involves creativity. Besides discovering and refining your leadership strength, Identify your leadership blind spots, and learn to be a deep thinking, a cool-headed observer, and passive listener is critical.  Besides soft quality, the hard core of leadership is knowledge, insight, and wisdom in order to make sound judgments and solid decisions. With leadership effectiveness, the result can be brilliant corporate achievements.
Leadership is all about change, but there are so many variables to leverage in leadership effectiveness. Regardless how you categorize leadership;  What keeps leaders successful cross-functional/company/industrial, cross-geographical, or cross-generational border, is their intellectual curiosity and ability to continuously be open to learning and applying these learnings as they move forward to make leadership influence and grow many more authentic leaders and bridge today and future seamlessly.
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