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September 2016 VOL. 31 NO. 9
Leadership is about relationships Leaders attach themselves to quality people and then focus on developing them and creating environments for success
LEADE R S I N BAN KI NG EXCE LLE NCE IS AN ADVE RTISI NG SU PPLE M E NT OF TH E N O R T H E A S T P E N N S Y LV A N I A B U S I N E S S J O U R N A L
Leaders in Banking Excellence
Banks strive to strengthen communities they serve.
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By Dave Gardner When attempting to define leadership, one must understand that the term has no single definition. What works for one leader may not necessarily be effective for another. Personality types, circumstances and societal evolution must all be taken into consideration. Leadership is a practical skill that lets a person or group take charge of other individuals, teams, or entire organizations. Business News Daily noted that 19th century historian Thomas Carlyle believed leaders were born and not made. English philosopher Herbert Spencer argued that leaders were the result of the society in which they lived. Practicality would indicate that a true leader must be able to inspire those around them. Business News Daily points out that leaders must be able get the best out of people, participate in giving and serving, exhibit ambition, be in touch with people, set a positive example and never stand alone. Larry Puleo, president of MLP Consultants, defines business leaders as individuals who attach themselves to quality people. The leader then focuses on developing them and creating environments for success through training, mentoring and coaching. Perhaps, above all, leaders must be capable of making changes others might avoid. When this operational menu is installed, people will be willing the follow to group success.
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10 Keys to Career Fulfillment “Leadership is now about collaboration, and the delivery of a simple thank you can be very helpful,” said Larry Puleo, president of MLP Consultants.
Tasks vs. people? According to Puleo, as a consultant he often hears managers complain that they just can’t seem to get tasks done. Inevitably, other people are blamed. “In many cases, this is because there is too much emphasis on tasks and not enough on developing the people who must do them,” said Puleo. “Yes, the manager must know what tasks their people are responsible for, but leadership is not about tasks. It’s about relationships.” He charged that most business organizations do not operate an effective mentoring program to develop leaders. As a matter of illustration, the NFL
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does and for decades has produced wave-afterwave of renowned leaders. “An effective example of this success is the NFL’s system of quarterback coaches,” Puleo said. “Universally, mentoring is a big part of this coaching job as teams strive to develop leadership skills in young quarterbacks.” However, in most companies, Puleo said, a clear path for employee development to leadership simply does not exist. Training through college classes, over the internet and with seminars can all be effective, but above all, relationship building is key if people are to be better positioned for modern leadership. Promotion without development? Puleo also identifies another problem with leadership development which can be traced to the roots of many business operations. Often, Please see MODERN, Page 18
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LEADERS SEPTEMBER 2016
16:41 | FANNINGCHR
Highly engaged people are more likely to succeed because they like what they’re doing.
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