Lead2XL

Lead2XL from the Self Renewal Group, a Toronto based executive assessment and coaching firm. We offer assessments for development or selection and coaching for career transition and success at work. See Self Renewal Group menu above.

Welcome to Lead2XL!

Our aim is to stimulate creative thinking about leadership and management. A new slant on leadership emerged from thinking about the meaning of bottom-up leadership. If employees successfully champion new products or processes to management, is this not leadership? If so, what kind is it? It's not what we normally call "informal leadership" because the informal leader takes charge of groups just as the formal leader does, only without formal authority. It is still a role in charge of people.

If leadership shown bottom-up is just successful influence, maybe it's an odd case that we can conveniently forget. But there are other instances of leadership with similar characteristics, such as green leadership. When green leaders convince far-flung communities to change their ways, they also show leadership without being in charge of those who follow. Check out articles under the LEADERSHIP menu for more.

If we change how we view leadership, then management must be upgraded to take over the role-based aspects of being in charge of groups. See MANAGEMENT for more on this theme.

Other topics include building confidence for career success (SUCCESS AT WORK) and employee engagement (TALENT). See the THEMES page for a selection of key articles. Please share articles you like and add your thoughts!

Leadership Latest

27-01-2012
Leadership and Management as Functions Apples and oranges have different properties but managers and leaders have different functions. So, it's not about what it takes to be a leader but how the function works.
23-12-2011
Leadership: NOT a Role A hotly debated issue: some are adamant that leadership isn't a role, but the feeling that it must be persists. What's the answer?
05-11-2011
Beyond Leadership Style The concept of leadership style is a usurper. It seized the territory once occupied by management style. It's time to give it back.
17-10-2011
Why Be a Leader, Not a Manager?
We regard our most admired leaders as heroes while managers are seen as villains or antiheroes. Why the good-evil slant?
15-10-2011
Influencing Skills for Leaders Leaders who want people to be fully engaged in their vision can't use the same influencing tactics as sales people, who are generally self-interested.
24-09-2011
Why Leadership Isn't a Role A lot of people feel that leadership isn't a role but what does it mean exactly to reject this idea? Is there any sense to the claim that leadership is in fact a role?
11-08-2011
How do you Define Leadership?
Can you define leadership in a way that does not entail being in charge of people? Can your definition account for leadership shown by outsiders, such as green leaders, who aren’t in charge of those who follow?
19-07-2011
Stephen Covey on Leadership
It is hard to disagree with the principles that Stephen Covey describes in his book Principle Centered Leadership but it is arguable that people can show leadership without following them.

Other Latest

10-01-2012
Are You Making Progress? Recent research suggests that a sense of making progress is a powerful motivator. Unfortunately, setbacks knock us down much more than progress drives us forward.
07-01-2012
What Are Your Self-Limiting Beliefs? We stay where it's safe for fear of failing, feeling humiliated and looking bad. Self-limiting beliefs are a self-imposed prison, walls we build and maintain to protect ourselves. How can we break out?
06-01-2012
How to Contribute More in Meetings People are quiet in meetings because they can't think of any content to offer. Suggesting solutions is the only form of contribution they recognize. Why not contribute as a catalyst instead?
07-12-2011
What Example are you Setting? We lead by example whether we mean to or not, thanks to the old saying "actions speak louder than words." But how do we know what sort of example we're setting?
06-12-2011
Collaborative Assertiveness We think of assertiveness in adversarial terms: how to defend ourselves against someone using strong-arm tactics to influence us. How about a more constructive, win-win approach?
30-11-2011
More Engaging Questions If you enjoyed Questions for Success, here are some more engaging questions useful for a variety of purposes. They are all open questions, designed to stimulate others to open up.
04-10-2011
Should You Always Play to Your Strengths? Contrary to popular wisdom, playing to your strengths is not always a good idea. For example, managers who are good problem solvers could fail to engage employees in problem solving by playing to this strength.
18-09-2011
How to Give and Receive Feedback Some managers find it extremely difficult to give negative feedback to their team members. It is even harder for employees to give such feedback to their boss. How can feedback be made easier?

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