Leadership Fundamentals

Leadership is participation in a shared effort with the intention of influencing othersand with openness to be influenced by others. While leadership is a necessarycomponent for the advancement of society, it remains impossible to prescribe it inany one format. And while there is no "three-step method" to foolproof leadership,there are some foundational skills and attitudes that lend themselves to moreeffective leadership.

These would include:

Receptivity: Being receptive to the ideas and views of others. This would include notonly good listening skills, but also empathy - the ability to understand others’position or perspective.

Humility: Knowing that your ideas are not necessarily any better or worse thansomeone else’s. Also recognizing that even good ideas can be added to, refined orinterpreted more effectively through the review of others.

Initiative: Leadership requires action. An individual must act to bring ideas forward,help others to understand an idea or vision, and to follow through with plans

Cooperation: Recognize that your best ideas for change will be yours alone to carryout if you do not include others. Also, recognize that to bring about real change willrequire the energy, involvement and shared participation of others.

Collaboration: Beyond cooperation, collaboration involves identifying the needs of allparties involved in the issue, and working toward outcomes that will meet all thoseidentified needs.

Cultivated Influence: We are all influential in this world. Simply by the act of being,we are impacting the world and others around us. But simply being does notmaximize an individuals’ influence. Through identification and application of ourpower resources, we can become much more persuasive, influential individuals.

Transparency: Trust is such a key issue in the leader/follower relationship. Bytransparency, I am referring to the openness and forthrightness needed forleadership. Trust levels and commitment to change will be highest when there are nohidden surprises or agendas being forwarded. When leaders and followers both seeand know the others’ motives and expectations, the relationship is transparent.The need for active influence to bring about change is as important now as it everhas been. Due to the global transport and use of resources, the decisions we maketoday have a greater circle of global impact than ever before.

Therefore, asconscientious, collaborative individuals, it is important that we are able to makeinformed decisions and participate collaboratively in our communities. This is, inessence, the message and imperative of environmental leadership.