The Leader's Tool Belt

  The skills a leader portrays are as varied as the type of people who embody leadership.  Even if skills could be narrowed down to general categories, the manifestation of those categorized skills would be incredibly varied.  This post will examine just a few aspects of leadership as explored in A Leader's Companion.  
  Warren Bennis looks at the question "How do organizations translate intention into reality and sustain it?" as a means to boil down the over 350 definitions to leadership (Wren, 1995).  Bennis construed a list of four traits that 90 exemplary CEOs displayed in varying capacities depending on their specific role.  He narrowed down these leaders' key traits to 1) vision, 2) communication and alignment, 3) persistency, consistency and focus, and 4) empowerment.  
  Hackman and Johnson continued the examination of a leader's skills and focused on the communication skills that are inherently necessary to demonstrate the four traits of leadership that Bennis described.  Hackman and Johnson detailed that leadership is communication that pushes individuals and groups forward to meet goals and needs.  Because communication can be learned and improved, Hackman and Johnson suggest that leadership can be grown and cultivated.  Leaders are essentially engaging in what they call "impression management" which reacts to the needs and desires of followers to give the appropriate impression (Wren, 1995).  
  It may be a cliche example, but I have a memory burned into my brain that embodies the clearest form of Warren Bennis' four traits as well as the focus on communication that Hackman and Johnson highlight.  In the book, Friday Night Lights (which was subsequently made into a movie and television show), the Coach Gaines gives a rousing speech at halftime of the state championship game (Bissinger 2000).  The speech can be seen portrayed in this video.  It is evident that he moves his team through the art of communication while portraying his vision for the team, his focus and his empowerment of the players to take destiny into their own hands.  
  When I sit and think on the power of communication, it necessitates that whatever the next step is in my career involves the consistent focus on improving communicative abilities.  Communication sets people apart from one another in their ability to portray feelings, emotions, directives and visions in a manner that inspires action.  Communication takes different forms in different environments and occupations but the improvement of communication will always be valuable.  

Bissinger, H (2000) Friday Night Lights: A Team, A Town, and a Dream.  Cambridge, MA: De Capo Press
Wren, J (1995) A Leader's Companion. New York: The Free Press