LEADERSHIP: FOR GOODNESS SAKE MOVE ON

As John Maynard Keynes so aptly put it "The difficulty lies not so much in developing new ideas as in escaping from old ones." An example is how old technology always colonises the new. Initially, TV news was just talking-heads - radio newsreaders filmed reading the news. Until, of course, producers realised the new medium allowed them to cut away to the accident, political leader or fashion show being described. Today, many businesses struggle to reinvent themselves online and exploit its new and hugely different potential. Is the same true of your leadership? Are you stuck in old approaches - even some perhaps, which may never have worked all that well for you? Here are six things to check.

Ask yourself how your peers, subordinates and other close colleagues would rate you on the following. Would it be "right up there" or "lost in time"?

• When did you last review the assumptions underpinning your business and its competitiveness - particularly in the new world of internet marketing, social networking and alliances? How differently do your competitors see the world out there?
• How effectively do you energise people - so they follow with enthusiasm based on your taking responsibility for important aspects of major projects, providing needed resources and communicating well? Do they feel you have stamina and are leading the charge?
• Have you created a constructive culture - and model it by your own commitment to winning and taking the tough decisions but doing so with fairness? How well do you seek out diversity in ideas, approaches and people? What is the most recent example?
• Do your people carry out tasks as well as they should - with attention to customers, quick response to problems and efficient processes that deliver profitable outcomes? What performance benchmarks have you raised in the last six months?
• Are roles clear and career advancement well planned - so people feel you understand them, support their aspirations and provide appropriate development opportunities? How do you compare with the best employers in your industry? What can you learn?
• How well are you scanning the horizon for the "what-ifs" that could derail your a business or create opportunities? When were you last blindsided by a competitor or new development - and what did you change as a result?

Leadership is not about a single right answer; or a one-size-fits-all solution. It's a planning and problem-solving exercise to develop a Personal Action List. One that's relevant to today not yesterday - responding to the needs of the current people you're leading and their specific challenges. In all of this, giving up the old is as important as taking up the new, and often more challenging. But success requires both.

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