In either case, if you’ve had an experience that you feel would help someone deal with a similar challenge, please feel free to share.

There was a question of whether people are born or learn to be leaders.  I like to think of this question in the same way we might think of professional athletes: are they born or do they learn to be great athletes?  I think we’ve learned over the years that the answer to that question is yes to both.  People are born with natural talents and abilities, but they also train, practice, and improve their skills. 

All good leaders should practice being a better leader, beginning with the basics, and only after mastering the basics, move on to advanced-level skills, followed by mastery-level leadership skills.  I’ve often said that if you’re trying to climb the ladder of success and try to climb too fast, you’ll risk slipping and skinning your knee.  The risk of jumping to advanced leadership skills without learning the basics increases personal and organizational risks. 

Every organization is different, but often the team leader position is considered an entry-level leadership position, and for the purpose of this series, it will be the foundation of our basic leadership skills.  A team leader demonstrates their leadership skills by maintaining their own performance and helping the rest of their team achieve their performance goals as well.  In addition, they set direction, manage tasks and timelines, communicate with clarity, and bring out the best in the people around them.  Foundational leadership skills like accountability, translating direction into action, and early mentorship relationships are developed here.  Leading a team well is harder than it looks, and mastering it is the first true test of a leader.

Regardless of the title, when a person finds themselves leading multiple teams, they begin the journey toward Organizational Level Leadership Skills.  Although basic leadership skills are applicable, organizational leadership skills are different in that you’re no longer a direct supervisor.  Organizational leadership skills will be the foundation of our advanced leadership skills.  Did you ever play that children’s game of telephone, where the first person whispers a phrase into the ear of the next person?  That person whispers it to the next, and so on, until the last person says it out loud.  The game ends when the original message is revealed, only to find that the original message is not what the last person in line received.  There are days when organizational-level leadership can feel a little like that children’s game of telephone.  Managing teams, influencing culture, and making consequential decisions, often with incomplete information, are advanced-level leadership skills not easily learned without practice.  Skills like executive communication, stakeholder management, and the ability to exercise sound judgment under pressure become critical.  The leader at this level shapes not just outcomes but the environment in which others lead.

When a person is comfortable leading individuals and multiple teams, they often begin to not only identify issues with policies or processes, but with enough experience, they can see ways to create organizational efficiencies.  Continuous Organizational Improvement happens when someone reaches Mastery-level leadership.  Continuous Organizational Improvement is leadership at its highest expression, the relentless, systems-level commitment to making the organization better than you found it.  At this level, you are comfortable with all Leadership Skills and Attributes and are focused on increasing the depth and breadth of Leadership Knowledge, such as designing the structures, policies, and cultures that outlast any individual.  Elements like change management, process improvement, and organizational design are the tools of a leader who thinks in decades, not quarters.  True mastery here is measured not by personal achievement, but by the strength, resilience, and capability of the organization you leave behind.

Malcolm Gladwell popularized the idea that to master a skill, a person must practice it for 10,000 hours.  In his book Outliers, proposing that achieving world-class skill in any field typically requires about 10,000 hours of concentrated practice.  He cited examples like The Beatles and Bill Gates, who accumulated roughly this amount of practice before reaching exceptional proficiency.  The rule was based on research by psychologist Anders Ericsson, who studied expert musicians and emphasized the importance of deliberate practice.  Practice that is purposeful, structured, and aimed at improving specific aspects of performance. 

I mention the 10,000-hour theory primarily to address the question of whether leadership is born or can be learned.  Here are three points to hopefully answer that question.  First, to point out that anything worth doing well takes practice.  Even if you’re born with exceptional skills and abilities, it takes time to hone those skills and abilities.  Second, working an eight or even twelve-hour shift doesn’t necessarily mean you’re practicing leadership skills.  A good leader reflects on their actions and practices to be a better leader.  Finally, there are no shortcuts or classes you can take to gain experience.  Experience takes time, and with reflection and practice, a person can hone their leadership skills to an exceptional level. 

What’s interesting about the 10,000-hour theory applied to a typical 40-hour-a-week year is that it takes about 5 years before someone is an expert at something.  It’s no coincidence that an average tradesman will need a combination of 4 years or 8,000 hours of training before they are considered a journeyman.  All of this to say, becoming a great leader takes time.

Join us on this journey as we explore the fundamental elements of basic, advanced, and mastery-level leadership skills, as well as thoughts and ideas to grow your own. 

If you’ve enjoyed this article, please check out some of the other leadership articles where we explore the personal and professional side of leadership: Leadership Domain: Chapter 1 (1 of 3) and Leadership Domain: Chapter 1 (3 of 3).

Before moving on, feel free to use the checklist below to assess your personal leadership readiness.

1. Each item below is worth one point.  Score yourself honestly; give yourself a point only if you can answer yes with confidence, not just in theory.

   1.0 _____: Have you reflected on your leadership skills?  Personal reflection is the first step in a journey to becoming a better leader.

   1.0 _____: Have you reviewed and assessed yourself against a list of the leadership, Knowledge, Skills, and Attributes needed for the roles you hold?  Knowing where to start is the second step in becoming a better leader.

   1.0 _____: Have you asked someone close to you to assess where you stand related to the Knowledge, Skills, and Attributes you’ve identified as important to you?  Asking your supervisor, husband/wife, etc., is a great place to start.

   1.0 _____: Do you have a plan to practice being a better leader?  Practice makes perfect, and not practicing leads to atrophy.

    

   _____: Assessment Grade

   4 = A · 3 = B · 2 = C · 1 or 0 = D

   Wherever you land, this is your starting point, not your ceiling. 

   “Leadership is not a title…it is a choice we make every day.”  Stay Ready, My Friends.

RuReady Resources:

1. Universal Leadership, Knowledge, Skills, and Attributes (KSA), Annual Focus Calendar. These are downloadable, printable pages that you can place in your planner.  The intent is to use these sheets as a weekly or monthly prompt to help a person focus and reflect on leadership elements. 

Leadership Books, Podcasts, and Documentaries: Leadership is a lifelong learning process.  There are thousands of excellent books, podcasts, documentaries, and interviews covering every leadership style imaginable.  Rather than focusing on finding the “best” one, focus on finding resources that challenge your thinking, expand your perspective, and encourage personal growth.  The format matters less than your willingness to keep learning.