A couple of months ago I heard Allen Behm, a political and risk analyst from Knowledge Pond talking about leadership. Apart from a bunch of engaging stories about good and bad leaders he has known, the take-home message was that effective leadership requires three practices:
- maintain your integrity – be a decent human
- be comfortable in your own skin – recognise your strengths and your limitations
- welcome dissent – foster a culture of contestability
It’s simple, really. Which is not to say it’s easy.