The ability to lead

I have been very deliberate in choosing the words for the title of this series of posts about leadership. Leadership is an ambiguous word or has many meanings wrapped up in it. Some see leadership as a position, an office or status. While others see leadership as the presence of ability or skill. Some see the afore as inseparable while other see the two idea as distinct. I fall in the the latter. Just because one has a position of leadership does not mean that one has leadership ability. Many leader themselves if not checked believe the two ideas are inseparable.

I think it is important that anyone reading this understand how at least I think about this and what informs me to how I lead. Reflection is vital for personal growth. At the same time I am hopeful that without being too presumptuous others can draw some inspiration on how to think about their own leadership ability.

So, to be clear, the forth coming posts are about leadership ability, the knowledge, skills and values a leader must at least possess in order to lead.

• Knowledge, is what an individual knows through education can experience, knowledge informs choice and behavior.
• Skills is the having the ability to do something with mastery(efficient and consistent) .
• Values are basic beliefs about how the world operates and what are virtues what what are not.

Over the next few posts I will look at the ability to lead through this framework (knowledge, skills & values). I will select topics and ideas which I believe to be prerequisites to the notion that someone has leadership ability.