Georg Kapeller: Success Factors of Leadership

So why is there not more clarity about the profession of leadership, when it is so
fundamentally important? Why is it not clearly defined what the principles of leadership
are and what leadership tasks need to be performed?
The reason is probably that leadership is not a first profession that one can learn.
There is no basic training to become a leader. In most cases, one enters professional
life with the learned profession. After a while in the acquired profession, one stands
out positively in an organisation because one delivers good results in one’s field, i.e.
works effectively and efficiently. The consequence is often that one is rewarded for
one’s good work and given additional responsibility for other employees without
having prepared oneself in detail for this new task. In addition to the profession one
has learnt, one is then simultaneously practising a second profession, namely the
profession of leadership. The described process of becoming a leader does not apply
everywhere. There are organisations that systematically prepare future leaders for
their leadership tasks or develop them accordingly. The best examples are the armed
forces, where leaders receive very comprehensive leadership training. The reason for
this is that leaders in the armed forces have to be prepared for situations in which
they have to make decisions that can have serious consequences under high pressure
within a very short time.
Therefore, it is important not to consider leadership as an incidental activity, but
as a profession characterised by following principles, carrying out tasks professionally
and applying tools.
In order to be able to carry out the profession of leadership with virtuosity, one
should also demonstrate some personal qualities. To illustrate this, the comparison
with the profession of a calculation engineer can be used again. As a calculation engineer,
one should have an affinity for physical systems and a penchant for calculations.
For the profession of leadership, there are also some personal requirements
that one should bring to the table. These are described in section 2.10 and chapter 3.
What I want to show in this book is what it takes to put the profession of leadership
successfully into practice.
Summary Introduction: Recognising leadership as a profession
Leadership is often seen as a secondary activity alongside a learned profession.
In many organisations, leaders are not adequately prepared for their leadership
role.
Leadership should be recognised as a profession characterised by following principles,
performing tasks professionally and applying tools.
In order to be able to exercise the profession of leadership with virtuosity, some
personal qualities, such as a positive mindset, should be brought along too.
14 Chapter 1: Introduction