Finding and Developing Leaders at Your Business

A growing company's recipe for success consists of the following ingredients: a powerful vision, an energetic culture, a robust branding strategy and a rigorous operational environment – all of which must be led by a dynamic leader. It takes effective leadership to grow a company.

A leader is one who others are willing to follow and believe in. Uncovering the reasons for success or failure in a business can be distilled down to one main theme: can the leader lead? Are people willing to follow a vision laid out by the leader?

This is how the U.S. Air Force defines leadership: "Leadership is the art of influencing and directing people in such a way that will win their obedience, confidence, respect and loyal cooperation in achieving common objectives."

Each of us can identify with people who were born with greater natural gifts than others, whether in sports, business, politics or religion. However, the ability to lead includes a collection of acquired skills that must be practiced. This is why "seasoned" executives are highly regarded – they have years of experience acquiring effective leadership skills such as discipline, vision, people skills and more.

Successful leaders are lifetime learners. Everyone has the potential to become a leader, but it requires significant dedication. The process of becoming a great leader is not accomplished overnight. It is achieved with self-discipline, perseverance and a never-ending thirst for knowledge.

Early in a company's development, the owner plays multiple roles, both because they can and because they must. As a company grows and expands, it is imperative to define leadership and management roles early and often to make sure the organization stays on the road to success.

Entrepreneurs can emerge as the right leader, but sometimes, entrepreneurs just aren't well suited to effectively lead. Recognizing the difference, the entrepreneur may need to hire a "seasoned" executive to lead the team in an effort for the company to reach its true potential and enterprise value.

It is also important to recognize and define the leaders and managers within the organization. A leader is one who leads people. Their vision is long-term; their style is transformational. A leader takes risks, effects change, shapes culture, provides passion, gives credit, takes blame and occasionally breaks the rules.

Conversely, a manager is one who manages people. Their horizon is more short term; their style is transactional. A manager's core is stability, while seeking objectives, demanding results and minimizing risks. However, effective managers possess and exhibit leadership qualities.

Does this mean there is only one leader in an organization? Absolutely not.

The relationship between leading and managing should be directly proportionate to the title. Although this is not always true, the higher the position in the company, such as a CEO, means a greater level of leadership responsibility and less management oversight. Conversely, an installation manager has more significant management responsibilities and less leadership requirements. Successful companies cultivate leaders throughout the organization, reinforcing the leadership culture from within.

ESX is an ecosystem full of leaders and leaders-in-training. Come join us and quench your thirst for knowledge. It's a great opportunity for you and your team to fine tune your leadership skills with security professionals from around the country.