LEARNING AND LEADERSHIP GO HAND-IN-HAND FOR AMBA’S EMERGING LEADERS by Rachael Pfenninger, director of strategic execution, AMBA
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n a Harvard Business Review (HBR) article by Dr. Sunnie Giles, organizational scientist and leadership development consultant, titled, “The Most Important Leadership Competencies, According to Leaders Around the World,”1 the author suggests that while soft skills and emotional intelligence often are heralded as key leadership characteristics, recent research demonstrates that there really are five dominating themes of competencies exhibited by effective leaders. These include providing a safe, ethical environment; empowering individuals to self-organize; promoting connection and belonging among employees; being open to new ideas and experimentation; and committing to the professional and intellectual growth of employees. This is quite a bit more analytical than what was written by leadership coach, consultant and CEO Peter Bregman in another HRB article. His headline makes a simpler argument – “Great Leaders Are Confident, Connected, Committed and Courageous.”2
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the american MOLD BUILDER | Issue 4 2021
Is either opinion more correct than the other? No – but why? While these two articles may outline what seem to be sets of different characteristics, they are driven by the same ideas. Great leaders put their employees first. They examine themselves, consider their faults and take seriously the feedback provided by others. At the same time, they are passionate about their mission, driving it forward and staying humble about their own leadership journey. The themes summarized here were echoed in many of the AMBA Emerging Leaders Network’s 2021 Meet the Mentor sessions. During these meetings, executives from the AMBA community tackled the challenges facing today’s emerging manufacturing professionals and walked attendees through the best practices and conflict resolution strategies developed throughout their own careers. While the topics spanned varying areas of focus – lean principles, accountability, risk management and team
