How often are you impressed by those who make difficult tasks seem incredibly easy?  What makes you pause and marvel at someone’s abilities? Perhaps it’s Connor McDavid’s effortless skating, or the beautiful tone of world renown trumpeter Wynton Marsalis. I will always remember watching Marsalis play the “Carnival of Venice” while strolling around the stage at Roy Thompson Hall. He looked as at ease as if he was taking a walk in the park!  The ability of such individuals to perform at the highest level with apparent ease often seems to be a gift—but is it? 

Have you ever worked with a skilled leader, perhaps someone you admired, as they practiced their craft in a seemingly effortless manner? Are their leadership capabilities also simply gifts?

In Outliers, Malcolm Gladwell suggests that 10 000 hours of dedicated practice is the key to achieving mastery in any complex skill. He argues that success doesn’t just emerge from innate talent, but also requires extensive preparation, opportunity and practice. While Gladwell may be simplifying this issue, there is much evidence to suggest that for many great performers, their greatness is the result of years and years of practice. I have witnessed, more than once, such great performers attributing their achievements to their willingness or desire to put in the hard work. They love to practice, and the process involved in developing their skills is as pleasing to them as the final performance. 

This should bring some comfort to those of you who are in the early stages of your leadership journey. The adage that “leaders are born, not made” is simply not true. We can all come up with examples of those who have grown into their leadership roles over time. Think of Terry Fox, Nelson Mandela—think about Moses! I would like to suggest that like the musicians and athletes who make their tasks seem simple, the development of these leaders is, in no small part, the result of years and years of extensive preparation and practice.

We in The Salvation Army Canada and Bermuda Territory believe that leaders can be developed over time with the appropriate training support and experience. When supported by informed feedback and support, significant growth can occur. That’s why we have embraced the LEADS Capability Framework as our articulation of the leadership capabilities needed for successful leaders in our organization. The LEADS Framework guides our department to provide the necessary opportunities, experiences and supports that help others achieve success in their leadership.  

Our newly developed LEADS Basics program will be available in the very near future and will allow for all aspiring Salvation Army leaders to gain an understanding of the fundamentals of the LEADS Capability Framework. I encourage you to watch for this upcoming offering from Leadership Development and sign up once it is available. This online series explores each of the LEADS domains from an Army perspective in under three hours. I assure you it will be time well spent.

Leadership development opportunities are available, and I encourage you to pursue them. Develop your leadership capabilities, engage in the many opportunities that exist that will help you to do so, and one day, you may find that you lead with the grace and confidence to which others aspire.