Call for Leaders!

Based on 2008 Corporate Learning Facebook, most organizations are spending upto 21% of their training budget on Management/Supervisory and Leadership training. And this is by far the largest chunk of the budget. I am not surprised.
If I articulate the definition of leadership as per Wiki ..."the ability to affect human behavior so as to accomplish a mission". This mission in question has become more critical now than ever before. The mission is 'communication'.
Organizations today are changing so fast that sometimes it is difficult to keep up. Restructuring, mergers, acquisitions, new business ventures, need to innovate - just some of the things that call for great leadership. In this changing face of business, we need people who can communicate and inspire. Great leaders are people who can make the troubled moments seem full of opportunities for success. In this light, I am not surprised if organizations are spending most of their training budgets on people who really matter.

While there are many theories about leadership and various styles of leadership, the bottomline is that leaders should strive to make more leaders like them. And all the activities to do that - need to be done by leaders.

Here is an interesting list of leadership tips - jack welch style..
1. There is only one way - the straight way. It sets the tone of the organisation.
2. Be open to the best of what everyone, everywhere, has to offer; transfer learning across your organisation.
3. Get the right people in the right jobs - it is more important than developing a strategy.
4. An informal atmosphere is a competitive advantage.
5. Make sure everybody counts and everybody knows they count.
6. Legitimate self-confidence is a winner - the true test of self-confidence is the courage to be open.
7. Business has to be fun - celebrations energise and organisation.
8. Never underestimate the other guy.
9. Understand where real value is added and put your best people there.
10. Know when to meddle and when to let go - this is pure instinct.

Chew on this: As per the 2008 Corporate Learning Facebook

"While training directed to top-level employees is a high priority overall, specific industries invest heavily in other employee audiences as well. For instance, in telecommunications, 23% of training program dollars are spent on customer service training; technology companies invest 29% of training dollars on sales training; and pharmaceuticals spend 25% on compliance and other mandatory training."