Aptitude to Lead

Are you a leader? Can you prove it?

Knowing what to do and when to do it is expected. It doesn't make you a leader.

Being competent is the tip of the iceberg. What floats below takes guts, resolve, ambition, fortitude... it takes aptitude.

You can learn about leadership. You can sharpen your leadership skills. That is the teachable part of being a leader.

But ultimately, you need aptitude to lead.

Aptitude cannot be taught. It can be nurtured, tested, and validated, but if you do not already have the aptitude to lead, you will never be capable of being a leader.

Aptitude rests on three core values.

Self-confidence

  • Do you believe in yourself?
  • Are you convinced you have the capacity to lead?
  • Do you even want to lead?
  • What does being a leader mean to you?

Trust

  • Do you trust yourself and your abilities?
  • Do you have the strength of character to trust others?
  • Do you have the strength of conviction to rely on others?

Openness

  • How do you handle success?
  • How do you handle failure?
  • Can you embrace your own vulnerabilities?
  • Can you embrace and accept the limitations of others?

You cannot learn them from textbooks or courses. You cannot acquire them from outside of who you are.

They are who you are. They are your capacity to lead.

And your capacity to lead is about embracing responsibility.

Whatever your role or profession, you are responsible for the success of:

  • the organization as a whole;
  • cross-functional process areas;
  • business units;
  • teams;
  • yourself as an individual and throughout your career.

And with that responsibility comes the responsibility to:

  • Lead the organization
    Think strategically and critically. Develop strategy. Initiate and manage change. Build culture. Support strategic initiatives.

  • Manage cross-functional performance
    Manage people, performance, finances, and processes.

  • Manage business operations
    Build customer relationships. Negotiate with suppliers. Facilitate meetings. Manage projects and transactions.

  • Develop people
    Coach. Direct. Engage. Influence. Build effective teams.

  • Manage yourself
    Manage your time and work. Solve problems. Make decisions. Think creatively. Continue learning. Communicate effectively.

Leadership Challenge

Looking at aptitude, which rests on self-confidence, trust, and openness.

This week, assess yourself honestly.

For each question asked above, give yourself a score from 1 to 10.

Then ask:

  • Which quality do I rely on most?
  • Which one do I avoid when I'm under pressure?
  • If a trusted colleague scored me, would they agree?

Leadership insight:

Leadership aptitude isn't revealed by what you know. It's revealed by how you respond when responsibility becomes yours.

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