A friend of mine asked me to help her with a paper on leadership. She sent me a list of questions, below are those questions and my answers. Love to hear your feedback!!

1•    Do you think leadership develops with experience?

Answer:  Yes. Leadership has to develop as one experiences various circumstances of what works well and what doesn’t work well. A leaders’ style also enhances as they encounter various other styles through conflict, cross functional disciplines, and overall business circumstances.  A key factor of developing as a leader is continuous learning and if a leader does that successfully then their leadership develops.

2•    Are there one or two experiences you look back on as having been especially valuable in helping develop your own leadership? Please briefly describe them.

Answer: One experience is really having been fortunate to work under managers who had great emotional balance. I’ve learned through various circumstances that not over reacting to a challenge really helps in getting through it. When I’m faced with challenges that require my leadership, I’m able to maintain a balanced approach to the problem and work toward solutions. The term Emotional Intelligence best describes this.

Another experience relates to the respect for people.  I’ve never seen an effective leader who has been publicly disrespectful to his subordinates or team members. There’s really no place for public embarrassment. I make it a point to be sure that through any and all circumstances my team (vertically & horizontally) understand that I respect them and their contribution.

3•    What made these experiences so valuable?

Answer: They were effective. They’ve helped build confidence. They can be proven no matter the circumstance.

4•    Have your own views of leadership changed over time?

Answer: Yes. Leadership is not about what my needs are from my team but more about what my team needs from me. Servant Leadership is just that, being able to help your team be their best and give them what they need (assignments, support) to do that.

5•    Do you think leadership in your arena is much different from, or involves different pressures, than leadership in other arenas?

Answer: Not much different. Certainly looking at situations of war requires more authoritative and less collaboration. Outside of those extreme circumstances there is very little variation in my opinion.

6•    Do you ever reflect after the fact about how effective your behavior was in a particular situation?  Is this ever a source of new or different insights?

Answer:  I reflect quite often. Much of the insight for me is usually around how I answered particular questions. Was I prepared enough or was I thorough enough in my position. The extended part of this is always getting feedback from others if you have the relationships.

7•    Is there any advice you would give people early in their careers about leadership?

Answer:  Be honest. Be Open.  Work toward winning each moment at a time. Part of your leadership ability is based upon who you are, trying to be someone different won’t help. Look for mentors for guidance and read.