Leadership development is the common denominator that underpins all our services. The problem is that leadership is a terrible word; too easily confused with ‘leader’, which is itself almost universally taken to mean a formal position of seniority.
Leadership is a path that you choose to take when you decide to take responsibility for what you want to happen and how it is to come about. It is neither a rank, a role nor a status.
The choice to lead is not the exclusive right or burden of people in seniority because leadership functions upwards and sideways as well as downwards. In its purest and most effective form, leadership depends on the skilful application of personal power rather than authority power; people courageously and committedly playing to their strengths in service of the wider team and organisation – which begs a number of big questions. Here are just two:
1.What are my strengths?
2.Why does it take courage to ‘play’ to them?
Ascent’s services are focused on bringing out the best in individuals, teams and whole businesses that are under pressure:
Personal Leadership Coaching & Mentoring
ABOUT RESPONSIBILITY AND ACCOUNTABILITY
Responsibility is not the same thing as accountability. The RACI matrix (that specifies who is responsible, who is accountable, who needs to be consulted and who is to be informed) makes this clear. The responsible person takes (or accepts) a specific leading role working towards a predetermined objective. The accountable person has authority, creates the atmosphere and the limits for responsibility and carries the can. She or he provides psychological safety to the responsible person.
“Our best ideas come from clerks and stockboys.”
Sam Walton, Founder of Walmart
“The organisations that will survive and thrive will be those that foster acts of leadership throughout the system, rather than assuming leaders only exist at the top.”
Max Weber sociologist (d. 1920)
“Leadership is using our personal power to win the hearts and minds of others to achieve a common purpose.”
David Gilbert-Smith, SAS officer and founder of The Leadership Trust
Stringing & Restringing your Instrument
Does the song you have come to sing remain unsung?
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