Leadership: "know thyself"

Having been interested in the topic of "leadership" for years now, and trying to put it into practice on a daily basis in the workplace and also in the family - whenever I feel the need to insist more vigorously on the proposition of an inspirational model towards teenage children - I often wonder if there is a recipe, the best of all, to create the "perfect" leader. The answer I arrive at is simply: no!

In fact, I think that "leadership" - specifically corporate - is a behavioral category that is still fluid in many ways, necessarily modifiable to adapt to constantly evolving scenarios. To comfort and support my belief, it is the evidence of how radically the world has transformed over the course of history and how leadership has had to adapt to these revolutions to still be considered useful. It must be said that the most important changes have occurred in recent decades, so much so that company managers have had to develop new skills to face the challenges produced by what can be considered, perhaps, the most radical systemic mutation that humanity has undergone: the globalization.

We could summarize by saying that nothing is more constant than change and this is evident above all in the production sector, and in these recent years of transition towards models where an effective synthesis in man-machine collaboration (and Artificial Intelligence) will be the key to success and sustainability for corporations.

So the portable leadership manuals that flood the web, change or rather are renewed: "The 12 / 10 / 8 / 5 / etc.. best qualities of the Leader"; “The key Leadership Essentials..”; “Leadership advice quotes..”, and so on..

If it is true that the qualities we associate with a leader have changed or rather have adapted to the complexity of current societies (what made someone a leader five or six thousand years ago would certainly not be needed today), however I believe the centrality of individual "psychological dynamics", and their understanding, unchanged in the formation of the Effective Leader.

The exhortation "know thyself" comes to mind, that is, the religious maxim inscribed in ancient Greek in the temple of Apollo in Delphi. Thus, men were exhorted to investigate the depths of their soul, while at the same time recognizing their mortal condition and human limitations. Socrates made it his favorite maxim, interpreting it as a clear invitation to consider the limits of human knowledge (the famous "knowing that you do not know", a necessary awareness before proceeding along the virtuous path of truth through dialectics).

Well, leaving aside for the moment the aspect of the "limit" of one's human condition - which I personally consider in positive terms if translated into awareness and "humility" on the part of the inclusive Leader - "knowing oneself" first and foremost is the key to develop an effective and adaptive leadership style, capable of counteracting the mutability of trends and moments. And this is worth a thousand times more than the checklists of the perfect leader!

Before applying the so-called "emotional intelligence", as the ability to grasp external suggestions and act accordingly - fundamental in relational dynamics, let's start with ourselves. Being aware of who you are and what image you want to give is the first step in outlining your own leadership style, as well as being able to identify your strengths and enhance them, without obviously underestimating and neglecting the elements of weakness to work on.

Stay tuned!