Page 282 - The extraordinary leader

The Organization’s Role in Developing Leaders • 259

Celebrate Successes

When positive results are achieved, they need to be celebrated. The organi-
zation needs to see the link between a business result and the development
efforts that helped achieve that. When customer satisfaction numbers go up
as a result of the actions taken by recent alumni of a leadership development
effort, it should be widely broadcast.

Conclusion
The success of all of the above recommendations hinges on the bone-deep
beliefs of the senior leaders of the organization. Do they really believe that
their people can become great leaders? Or do they hold the old view that intel-
ligence and ability are fixed at birth and people really cannot change a great
deal? Are they willing to invest their time in giving leadership to this leader-
ship development effort? We have often focused on the financial commitment
the senior leaders must make, but their personal commitment and time are
far more important.
Are the senior leaders willing to set the expectations at a very high level
and insist that everyone strive to be an excellent leader? For the organizations
that make this commitment, the rewards are extremely high. For those who
choose not to, the future is highly questionable.

Why This Approach Promises Greater Success
in Developing Leaders
First, we submit that a focus on developing great leaders rather than merely
on “leadership development” gives a new perspective to what we do. It raises
our sights and creates a somewhat different mind-set for measuring our suc-
cess. Many of the leaders currently in the “good” category seem satisfied with
their current level of effectiveness. This is much like the experience one has
when climbing a high mountain. After a substantial hike, you can look up
the mountain and see what you think is the top. As you approach that point,
your excitement grows because of your accomplishment. If you were to
sit down below what you thought was the summit, you might never find out
that what you thought was the top was only a peak that stuck out from the