In today’s world, there is a fascination with youth. Both men and women invest a lot of time and money in products aimed at preserving the appearance of youth. Hair dyes, cosmetic products and procedures are available in different forms, all aimed at preserving a youthful appearance.
However, fortunately or unfortunately, we will eventually all get old and discover that our joints are no longer as supple as they used to be. When we could easily leap off the bed in our teens, we must now pause at the edge of the bed, think about it before getting up to prepare for our day. The illusion of youth is that most young people believe that they will remain young forever. This is indeed an illusion because the cycle of life demands that we go forward, change, and evolve.
It is upon this premise, that we build a platform for emerging leaders. Just as the human body gradually progresses from youth to adulthood, into old age, an emerging leader also progresses from a follower, into an emerging leader, and finally into a senior executive. In the same way an organisation prepares its employees for retirement, organisations must also invest time in creating training programmes for its emerging leaders.
The Cambridge dictionary defines emerge as follows: to appear by coming out of something or out from behind something. By my definition, an emerging leader is therefore an individual who comes out from the limitations or guard rails placed in front of them to prepare them for the weight of future leadership.
In your organisation, an emerging leader could be described as someone who is stuck behind a jealous line manager, or someone who is still struggling to meet the requirements of the job. An emerging leader could be someone who excels at their job in front of a computer, but they possess little or no people skills. An emerging leader could also be the quiet employee who barely speaks because they are extremely shy but yet they deliver on every task that is given to them.
Emerging leaders therefore come in different shapes and sizes, but the thread that binds them all together is their desire to grow and become better. An emerging leader is not just someone who is loud, ambitious and driven to meet targets. Whilst these are all useful traits, such an individual must possess the inner quality of teachability. Essentially, an emerging leader is an individual who is willing to learn and develop the characteristics that makes a leader great.
In your reflections and planning for the next 10 years, consider this question-Does your organisation have a plan on developing the next set of emerging leaders?
Written by Chikodi Lori, Founder
Disclaimer
This article is intended for general informational purposes only and reflects personal insights on leadership and workplace development. It does not constitute professional advice, and should not be relied upon as such. Any reliance placed on this content is at your own discretion.