An Introduction to Leadership Psychology

“If you could only sense how important you are to the lives of those you meet; how important you can be to the people you may never even dream of. There is something of yourself that you leave at every meeting with another person.”~ Fred Rogers, The World According to Mr. Rogers: Important Things to Remember (Hyperion, 2003)

Whether you’re starting out, changing jobs mid-career or completing your last decade of work, leadership success depends on how well you manage yourself and interact with others.

Mastering leadership psychology is crucial for professional development. What got you here won’t get you there. Success depends on knowing, appreciating and accepting who you are.

You can turn deficits into strengths when you understand them. You can play to these strengths and avoid their inherent traps with sufficient self-knowledge and support from the right people.

Effective leaders also use psychology to understand and motivate others. As you ascend to positions of greater power and responsibility, you’ll increasingly rely on social and emotional intelligence.

A rapidly changing business environment will pose numerous challenges:

• An increased workload as markets become more complex
• Situations that require political savvy and exemplary interpersonal skills
• Time and energy management
• Unprecedented pressure and stressors
• An increasingly diverse global workforce
• Rapidly evolving products and services
• Unpredictable market changes
• Technological advances

Whether you work in manufacturing, retail or services, your understanding of human psychology will drive optimal business outcomes.

This series will examine three essential psychology skills that every leader must master. Next week, I’ll explain how self-knowledge, engagement, and managing emotions will allow you to to take your leadership skills to the next level.