Leadership Development News Roundup: Leadership Lessons Edition

The greatest leaders possess plenty of enviable qualities. They have the presence to command a room with their voice. They coach others and make those around them more successful. Perhaps most importantly, they see the big picture and invest in the health of an entire department, division or organization. These qualities may seem innate, but in fact, can be learned and developed.For this week’s Leadership Development News Roundup, I’ve assembled a collection of articles and blog posts with leadership lessons, including advice from leaders, examples of great leadership and tips to help you improve.

• Richard Branson's Three Most Important Leadership Principles. Forbes: “I’m quite involved in hiring for leadership and I look to hire my weaknesses. Personality before CV. A person who has multiple degrees in your field isn’t always better than someone with broad experience and a wonderful personality. I like to take chances on people, and whenever possible, promote from within – it sends a great message to everyone in the company when someone demonstrates a passion for the job and leadership skills at every step along the way and is rewarded with a leadership role.”

• 5 Signs You Need to Work on Your Leadership Skills. Inc: “Many entrepreneurs who are busy running their business fall into the trap of putting themselves last. Leaders understand that if they don't eat well and exercise, they are not setting a good example and won't maintain the energy to lead. In the long run, you'll find more time and energy to devote to your business if you stay healthy.”

• Leadership Lessons From Alexander the Great. Entrepreneur: “Alexander’s reputation followed him as he trekked east. And that's part of the reason why he came to defeat armies and rule over people of different cultures and countries. While Alexander’s definition of exploring abroad was a bit different than mine, the message is clear: A person should always be the best version of himself no matter where he is.”

• 5 Leadership Lessons: How Google Works. Leadership Now: “Our ideal candidates are the ones who prefer roller coasters, the ones who keep learning. These ‘learning animals’ have the smarts to handle massive change and the character to love it. Most people, when they are hiring for a role, look for people who have excelled in that role before. This is not how you find a learning animal. Favoring specialization over intelligence is exactly wrong, especially in high tech. The world is changing so fast across every industry and endeavor that it’s a given the role for which you’re hiring is going to change.”

• The Leaders We Remember Most. Lolly Daskal: “They challenged us. They’re the ones who showed us we can always be better than we thought we could, who encouraged us to do what we thought was impossible. They acknowledged us. They took the time to express their gratitude. They provided recognition to us and acknowledged our effort. They listened to us. They made time to listen and paid attention to what we had to say. They helped us learn what it’s like to really be listened to.”

Let us know if you’d like our help developing your leadership skills or that of your employees or consider sending them to The Success Labs Management Incubator.Success Labs is a full-service, strategic organizational and leadership development company located in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. For more than 25 years, our expert team of consultants has worked with hundreds of companies to explore their business potential and improve their company and cultural performance. Contact us to get proactive about your people strategy.