South Africa's Leadership Deficit: Comprehensively Combating the Lack

In these troubled times, it is possible that to a large extent, we are suffering from a global leadership deficit. A term coined by John Kotter, the Konosuke Matsushita Professor of Leadership, Emeritus, at the Harvard Business School, a leadership deficit is when those behaviours that detract from your ability to lead effectively outweigh those behaviours that do. This amounts to a global climate in which not much that needs to get done is getting done.?

“I feel that leadership has been greatly misunderstood,” says Eileen Thornhill, Director of The LLC Academy, a Services SETA, QCTO and COMENSA accredited, 73.57% Black Owned Level 2 Designated Group Supplier that specialises in growing and developing the people of South Africa into a force that can take us into the future. “When we think of leaders, we think of people at the top, the people in charge of the big picture. At The LLC Academy, we recognise that leaders, and the leadership they provide, should be present at every level and in every aspect of life.”?

“While there are people for whom leadership comes naturally, leadership is a skill that can be developed. This is why we focus on leadership development across the board: from school leavers all the way through to our Leaders of Leaders programmes, which focus on conscious, purpose-driven leadership skills that enable our students to lead at a higher level.”?

“A good leader needs to be simultaneously strategic and creative, capable of big picture thinking while still being able to pay attention to detail,” says Thornhill. “What makes a good leader great, however, is a high level of empathy and genuine care for the people whom they lead.”?

“Leadership is not merely the job of our politicians, CEOs and organisational heads,” says Thornhill. “All of us are capable of being leaders, and all of us should be stepping up to lead, in every aspect of our lives.”?

“Leaders are not ‘above us’,” says Thornhill. “They are people who fulfil a very necessary role in the world. A true leader is one who recognises that leadership is about service to the people they lead. It is about getting the buy-in of those whom they lead, and doing their utmost to build a strong work culture with high employee morale and engagement.”?

South Africa too, needs to build more great leaders – at every level, be it the C-Suite or on the shop floor. Contact The LLC Academy today to find out more about our programmes that focus on developing you and your team into effective, confident leaders.?

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