Many challenges can arise when one is expected to manage and lead others after a career period of demonstrating and using technical abilities gained through initial education and training.  However, leadership and management are not always taught nor learned in a formal and structured way. Our leadership and management "style" will be the product of many influences including our:

• personality
• role models (family, work etc)
• ambition
• work environment
• formal learning - both at educational institutions and within employers
• general business and economic environment
• feedback through performance appraisals, upward and 360 degree feedback and psychometric assessments.

Having the benefit of various Assessments  and Executive Coaching can be useful aids in this process, as is a tool which is useful in understanding one's style and identifying possible areas for self development, being the Life Styles Inventory (TM) by Human Synergistics for which I was an accredited practitioner but please note am not now although I still interpret the assessment when conducted by organisations. (For possible benefits of tools such as LSI, please click here)

The LSI is an individual feedback tool, designed to provide insight into a person's thinking and behaviour and how these impact on effectiveness in the current role. The LSI is made up of two separate but interrelated parts:

• LSI 1 is a self description inventory, designed to measure an individual's thinking styles and self concept.
• LSI 2 is a description by 5 others selected by the individual from their current work environment who knows the individual well in their current role.

Further details on the LSI can be found here.