Globalization, technological innovation and changing demographic trends are having a tremendous impact on our society today. Old ways of doing things are giving way to the new and it is becoming more and more difficult to forecast how tomorrow would look like. The situation in our world today has been described by many as Volatile, Uncertain, Complex and Ambiguous (VUCA). In such a challenging environment, the importance of strong and innovative leadership, coupled with well-structured governance-systems and processes in organizations cannot be over-emphasized.
Leadership, a critical factor in achieving organizational goals, has been defined by many individuals and organizations in different ways. In all the definitions, a key idea that stands out is the fact that, leadership involves the exertion of influence by a person on others to achieve desired outcomes. This clearly shows that the characteristics or personal attributes of the individual exerting influence is key. One good attribute of an effective leader is the ability to deal with a challenge within the context or environment it presents itself. A good understanding of the context of leadership or the environment within which leadership is being provided is therefore as important as the personal attributes of a leader.
Leadership and governance go hand-in-hand. While leadership focuses on the personality of the leader and what he or she does, governance focuses on the environment within which the leader interacts with other stakeholders. Good governance requires the creation of well-structured systems with clearly defined policies, processes and procedures geared towards the achievement of organizational goals.
CILG aims at raising and equipping leaders with the right attributes that enable them to successfully respond to the challenges within the environments in which they find themselves, using good governance principles. We urge all members to support this vision.
About the Author:
Dr. Kwasi Adu-Boahen Opare is the National Executive Council Chairman for the Chartered Institute of Leadership and Governance, Ghana Chapter and a Lecturer at Kwame Nkrumah Univerisity of Science and Technology (KNUST), Kumasi- Ghana.
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