Skills don't happen overnight

I've just returned from undertaking some interviews with middle managers of a large organisation; it's part of a research project looking at how people perceive leadership within that organisation. I asked staff what qualities good leaders have. Although each of the people I interviewed was quite capable of giving a textbook account of leadership qualities, they each chose to describe a person to me. These experienced managers had a picture or memory of a person who, for them, captured the essence of what good leadership is. That holistic way of learning is characteristic of so many people who works in a practice-based profession. Nurses, dentists, medical doctors, policemen, armed forces, fire fighters, ambulance crew and so many more practical professions all value and learn from their experience and the experience of others. Using an experiential style of learning (Fowler 2008) to develop your own leadership style is dependent upon two factors; firstly, being exposed to the experience of leadership and secondly, reflecting on that experience. Let's explore both of those factors – experience and reflection.