We can all agree that change is constant. Even with how far organizations have come recently, the need for change is greater. I wonder what the next frontier will be.

One area still in its early stages is the concept of driving leadership to every corner of the company. For the most part we see leadership development for the top levels of organizations but not much below that. Companies either do not see an adequate return-on-investment for developing leadership qualities throughout the organization or are depending on the examples set by top leaders to be enough for everyone else.

Is that possible...I wonder. To test the concept that leadership may be absorbed through observation I have thought back over my nearly thirty years in business life. Just how many positive learning experiences did I simply observe? Well, the truth is for me—not many. Most of my valuable learning came through hands-on experience, trial-and-error application, self-evaluation and direct exposure to excellent mentors (people who cared enough about where I was going and how I was getting there). This is only my perception of my history of course. Please think back over your years in organizations, what has been your experience? Did you learn by observing? Did organizations you worked in deliberately develop you as a leader? Did you forge ahead and have feedback from people who cared enough to listen, react to your behavior and share their own experiences? I wonder...

We need to be developing leadership qualities in everyone throughout the organization. The first step in the process is to understand leaders are not born, they are developed. The characteristics and qualities of employee leadership will determine the future of the organization and everyone connected to it.

If we were developing leadership qualities in all corners of the work place just think how many people would be contributing to the company’s success in ways we never imagined. Leadership is not just doing your job; it’s establishing credibility by reinforcing your words with your actions; it’s thinking not only for today but creating something even better for tomorrow. Leadership inspires the best in others; it brings about a spirit of confidence; it allows courage to overcome our fears and defines our values reflected by our character. Individual leadership quality makes us unique and independent as well as interdependent in our quest to work more effectively to achieve larger goals.

Picture what your organization would be doing if the concept of leadership was found in the hearts of your employees. In this scene, they work with the spirit of personal ownership. They see the opportunity provided as an investment in themselves, a chance to develop their personal self-worth. Encouraging leadership is the best opportunity you have to deal with the challenges of business expansion, the pain of downsizing and new competitive pressures. It’s the only way to ensure you are not working alone.

So, we must find ways to change to keep up with the changes impacting how we do business. Driving leadership throughout the organization improves your chance for merely surviving to dominating your markets. Are you thinking this way? Your competition probably is. ¨