“In each excellent company, those that survived recession, we found that it was not just an exceptional leader at the top;  these companies had great leaders at every level” – Tom Peters in a Passion for Excellence

Commentary: How do we endeavour to ensure success in tough times and periods of uncertainty? To quote Steve Shelby, Vice President of Giant Impact, USA “Start the new year strong. Invest in leadership development. Good leadership will have a great return – the goal is to supply my team with the tools whereby they can provide our clients with exceptional service. I will give my company superior results by encouraging my employees in their personal growth”. Benjamin Franklin said, “An investment in knowledge always pays the best interest.” The aim of training is to develop your staff to a point where their belief in themselves is so strong that they are willing to take on and succeed, in any challenge that comes their way. The more training you have, the more prepared you are and the more confidence you have in your own abilities. The message so obviously portrayed is; ‘Develop great leadership THROUGHOUT your organisation’. When an organisation invests in training, both employees and management are learning and growing; therefore feeling proficient within themselves. This averts thoughts of the negative; providing a positive attitude to elevate them into the select fraternity of those who consistently succeed; those who are not adversely influenced by fluctuations in the global market. If there are good leaders at all levels, this means that they share in the leadership and free the top executives to get on with the vision. Further, it lightens the load of the decision makers; more people are involved in, and contributing to leadership making the appropriate evaluations at a lower level. This results in a higher degree of growth, experience and authority in subordinates. They are not afraid to think and make conclusions. The more a company can tap into the thoughts and ideas of their combined staff, the more innovative and stronger they become. Development of leaders is not an option; it is a requirement for survival