© 2014 Photo used with purchased copyright permission from BIGSTOCK PHOTO
“Men [women] are alike in their promises. It is only in their deeds that they differ.” Moliére
Max De Pree’ book, Leadership is an Art, is appropriately named as leadership involves art or skills, characteristics or attributes that must be constantly developed, honed and practiced lest our skill sets become neglected and our leadership influence begin to wane. De Pree provides us with three attributes or characteristics essential to artful leadership:
- Personal integrity
- The indispensable knack for building and nurturing relationships
- Community building (1990, pp. viii-xii)
Whether we are a leader in a for-profit, non-profit, marketplace, or faith-based organization, leading in the 21st Century will become increasingly challenging. Michael J. Marquardt & Nancy O. Berger in their book, Global Leaders for the 21st Century, reinforce this challenge stating:
For organizations, the next century [this century] (and millennium) will bring much greater complexity and tougher challenges that we can only begin to imagine. We know that we can anticipate increasingly fierce competition, environmental catastrophes, and political, religious, and social strife, but also exciting technological breakthroughs about the world around us; all will contribute to a need for a special kind of leader (2000, p. ix).