Leadership and Direction

Clever people bring a high level of value to a company when managed properly. Here we look at the key characteristics of clever employees and how to get the best out of them.

A brief outline of Dave Ulrich’s attributes approach to leadership.

Leadership is traditionally viewed as a one-way process; command aimed downwards. Here we profile the unconventional but essential art of leading your superiors, and allowing your subordinates to lead you.

Much of today’s management literature is concerned with the importance of good leadership. But what are leaders without followers? Here we examine the important concept of followership and consider what makes a good follower, what followers look for in a leader, and how organisations can promote effective followership.

According to Kelley, ‘organisations stand or fall partly on the basis of how well their leaders lead, but partly also on the basis of how well their followers follow.’ Here we examine his ‘Some Followers are More Effective’ model, which identifies five patterns of followership, ranging from ineffective to effective.

A brief look at the Dyadic Vertical Linkage model which deals with the relationships between a leader and their followers.

The best leadership encourages a culture of honesty and trust within the organisation, allowing individuals to speak their minds, and voice concerns.

Based on an interview with the Assistant Chief Officer for Strategic Planning at Strathclyde Fire and Rescue, this article considers the model of operational leadership used in the fire and rescue service. It looks at some of the competencies needed to lead a team of firefighters effectively, and considers how strong communication, crisis management and decision-making skills can be transferred to busines environments. NB: an audio version of the whole interview is available on the article page.

This article contains practical advice on how to adapt your leadership style when managing clever people.

This article offers practical advice on how to develop effective relationships with older members of your team.