e are all leaders and we lead by virtue of who we are.  Whether we are leading ourselves, a team, or an organization, how we bring ourselves to our purpose determines the effectiveness of our leadership.  To know ourselves is key to our success.  Successful leaders are always growing, holding themselves accountable, and understand how their actions drive their success.

Leadership is largely about leading change, holding a vision, and knowing how to drive towards that vision.  It requires clear purpose, knowledge, and the ability to excel not only intellectually but also emotionally.  We use the term "Connected Leadership" to describe our belief that there is a connection between a leader’s own self-knowledge, their connection with their purpose, and their ability to connect with others that largely determines the degree to which others want to engage with their leadership.  A successful leader understands that how they communicate with others; how they connect values to purpose; purpose to vision; and people to purpose largely determines their success.  When a leader has made these connections, then the people who turn that vision into reality can do that best by igniting their own leader within, bringing their best selves forward for the achievement of the purpose.

Highpoint offers a variety of formats for leadership development, including coaching, a multi-day training and a 6 month leadership training developed specifically for management teams with the underlying purpose of transforming their organizations in the process of transforming their leadership.

From Manager to Leader

While success depends upon a leader's ability to manage the business, outstanding performance depends on a leader's excellence in leading people. Our experience of working with teams since the mid-80's has informed us greatly on what people want in a leader, and what inspires people to follow a leader.

Highpoint leadership trainings emphasize developing the following characteristics:

Visioning - The leader communicates a vision that he or she wants other members of the organization to support, conveying his or her conviction with strong personal confidence and enthusiasm.  The best leaders create cultures that encourage dynamic internal debate, thereby preparing their people for the strategy and direction they will follow.

Inspiring - Strong leaders understand the need for motivating and inspiring their people, using highly motivational language with a clear message, a leader generates excitement about the work of the organization and its people, and raises expectations for what is possible.

Stimulating - By fostering an open environment for creative problem solving and encouraging out-of-the-box thinking, the leader acts as a catalyst, stimulating innovation supported by clear reasoning.

Coaching - Leaders listen well and provide positive feedback for strong performance  and tangible support where needed. Leaders know there are times when an organization makes mistakes and needs to course correct. The only way to learn is by doing and making mistakes is an integral part of the learning process to attaining success.  One of our favorite terms passed on to us by a client is to "fail forward."

Teambuilding - By selecting individuals with complementary and diverse skills, leaders build effective teams. By sharing information, providing feedback, and removing barriers to team performance, leaders build trust and self-confidence within the organization.

It is expected that leaders possess a strong intellect, professional knowledge and expertise.  We believe the difference between a good leader and a great leader is emotional intelligence.  Daniel Goleman, in his most recent book, The Emotionally Intelligent Workplace, describes a model of emotional intelligence comprising four domains and twenty competencies.

The four domains are Self Awareness, Self Management, Social Awareness, and Relationship Management.

The first two domains are personal. Self Awareness is characterized by a deep understanding of one's emotions, strengths and weaknesses, and an ability to accurately and honestly self-assess.

Self Management is the control and regulation of one's emotions, the ability to stay calm, clear, and focused when things do not go as planned, and the ability for self motivation and initiative.

The second two domains are social, and concern a person's ability to manage relationships with others.

Social awareness covers empathy, the ability to consider employees' feelings in the process of making intelligent decisions either on a one-to-one basis or as a group.

Relationship management covers the ability to communicate, influence, collaborate, and work with colleagues.

In our work with teams and leaders we have found that the majority of leaders who are highly successful have a strong emotional intelligence and understand how emotional intelligence contributes to their success.  The leaders we witness struggling the most may be experts in their field, but often have a less developed foundation and understanding of their emotional intelligence and the role it plays in their leadership.

We work to develop and deepen a leader's understanding of and capacity for emotional intelligence.  The good news about emotional intelligence is that it can be learned.  Highpoint trainings support this learning.  For further information about our leadership trainings, please contact Carmen Cook: carmen@highpointexp.com