The functions of a leader are becoming more and more broadly defined among human resources managers and directors worldwide. Overview of the survey conducted by the American Management Association among 1200 respondents in 40 countries.
39% of respondents no longer only define a leader by a person’s place in the hierarchy but also by influence within the company, and 14% by performance in carrying out duties. 17% still believe that it is only a job title or a person in charge of a team of employees. 13% consider it as someone who is an executive or higher, 7% at management level or higher and 6% at the level of a vice president or higher. Finally, 2% consider it as a person occupying a position that is critical for the organization.
According to Jennifer Jones, Director of AMA Entreprise, a specialist division of the American Management Association, the latest results indicate that we are reaching a turning point where the companies recognize that the term leader applies to a much larger group than only the management team. The trend seems to be not only a simple change of attitude within general management but extends to other levels of the company. Individuals are aware of the need to have leadership skills to be able to collaborate with their colleagues and peers.
Developing human skills, a challenge
According to her, the main challenge to be overcome is to develop key human skills in order to be able to work with all kinds of people. Many ways of pursuing them further can be envisaged: mastering communications skills, collaborating on a project, concentrating on specific goals, developing a sense of humour, etc. Developing interpersonal skills remains without a doubt the key challenge.