Attitudes Should Be a Part of Leadership Skills Training

If you hear a motivational speaker you can probablywith mediocre skills and knowledge but a great attitude
make a safe bet that at some point in the speechexcel in the job. Why is that? The reason is: attitudes
there is going to be a discussion about attitudes.are the multipliers of performance.
Motivational speakers know how important attitudesLeadership Skills Training & Attitudes
are for anyone to achieve what they want to achieve.So if attitudes are so important to the success in the
What we don't see is a lot of talk about attitudes inperformance of a job, why don't you train attitudes as
leadership development training. Before we get intoa basis for leadership skills training? In leadership skills
that, let's look at the role attitudes play in business.training usually there is a focus on competencies that
Even though there is a lot written and spoken aboutmake a great leader. The leadership competencies
attitudes, we still don't understand them. Attitudes arewould include communication, problem solving, decision
viewpoints or outlooks that are unique to us asmaking, goal setting, conflict resolution, and so on. It is
individuals. The attitudes that we have are habitualvery rare to see a module on attitudes. Yet attitudes
ways of thinking. Attitudes are not opinions becauseare a key component of great leadership.
opinions tend to change frequently. Attitudes, on theSome attitudes that you would want to see in a leader
other hand, tend to remain constant over long periodsare:
of time. It is these habitual ways of thinking or attitudes
that determine our behaviors.1. Being a self starter
In business attitudes are often the last thing considered2. Willing to take responsibility for their own actions and
for achieving business goals. Let's look at an exampleactions for their team
of how attitudes are often overlooked until it is too late.3. Empathy
Usually when a business looks to hire someone they4. Being open minded
make sure that the person has the skills and5. Being resilient
knowledge necessary to do the job. In fact, a6. Having a results orientation
company will usually invest in the individual to develop7. Being customer focused
further the skills and knowledge of the person theyEach one of these attitude areas has skills associated
hire. Conversely when a company gets ready to firewith them; but, it is the mindset or attitudes that a
someone, isn't it usually about the attitudes of theperson has in each of these areas that is going to
person? Still, very little if anything is invested indetermine how successful the person will be.
developing attitudes.If more emphasis was placed on attitudes in leadership
Attitudes are really the multipliers of performance.skills training the effectiveness of the leadership would
While skills and knowledge are necessary to performimprove, customer and employee satisfaction would
a job successfully, it is the attitudes that determine theescalate, and overall productivity would increase. Look
level of excellence in a job. You probably have seenat how you develop your leaders and ensure that
where a person who had tremendous skills andattitude development is part of your leadership skills
knowledge but, had poor attitudes did not succeed intraining.
the job. And, you probably have seen where someone