What is the greatest challenge facing the world today?

Recent research by the Saratoga Institute reveals that 32% of employees who voluntarily leave their jobs is directly attributable to poor management. Included in that amount is the finding that 9% of supervisors lack leadership skills.

In the course of working to be a leader, researching leadership development, and educating diverse audiences on the topic of leadership, Leigh has identified six key traits of being an effective leader.

Authenticity. The ability to be fully present for others. You can only earn authenticity through quality interactivity with others. Followers can feel if they have been tricked or misled.

Respect. Starts with self-esteem for who you are and what you can become then extends to how you value others. Leigh's keynote presentation on "Respect: How to Earn It!" draws rave reviews from senior executives and entry level employees as well.

Vision. Be above the moment to see the horizon and beyond. A wise leader focuses on the big picture to get effective perspective on emerging opportunities.

Strategic Thinking. Leaders think about the best paths to reach goals and utilize tactical approaches so that key personnel can achieve needed results for the organization.

Talent Development. Commitment to create a learning environment and to engage in meaningful learning opportunities to help meet new challenges. "The head teacher is the leader no matter the size of the company," according to Noel Tichy, Professor, Ross School of Business, University of Michigan and co-author with Warren Bennis of Judgment: How winning leaders make great calls.

Wise Decision Making. Not just for the short-term. Decisions are for the greater good, the long-term investment. Warren Buffet, CEO of Berkshire Hathaway, Inc., and one of the world's most successful investors, said in a televised conversation that "the longer term is pretty darn certain." Leaders invest in wise short-term decisions to realize a long term ROI.

To find out how Leigh can help you maximize these traits, contact Leigh@LTR-NYC.com

When coaching her clients, Leigh uses a situation appropriate set of terms to communicate with her clients. These terms vary and include historical references. Often she relies on terms related to sports in order to help her clients understand their workplace playing field. Sports is a universal language, one that can be understood by individuals at all levels of an organization.

Competing Commitments. Sometimes says one thing but does another---out of habit or fear of taking a risk on new behaviors, behaviors that can hold someone back from full expression of their best self.

Game plan. Strategies to get you where you want to go in order to reach your goals.

Landmines in the workplace. Challenging situations and interactions that trigger strong emotional reactions and set off what can be uncontrollable behavior.

Level playing field. An environment where there are no barriers to demonstrating optimum performance and achieving goals.

Obstacles. Piles of challenges set up by situations, others in the workplace, or an individual's own behavior. An example of an internal obstacle is a woman who had a great opportunity for advancement yet she procrastinated on delivering needed reports for the president, earning her a poor performance review.

Playbook. Collection of information, strategies, and calculated actions to inspire, motivate, and help you plan your progress to meet objectives, attain goals, and advance in powerful ways toward your ideal position at work and career.

Playing field. Where you interact with others, usually the workplace. Leigh questions her clients to see if the size of their playing field is big enough for them. She knows from experience that the size of the elementary school playing field was too small for her ambitious nature; the educator is now thriving in a bigger playing field by teaching in the Management Department at the Zicklin School of Business within Baruch College, the nations most ethnically diverse campus.

Playing to win. An approach that means you give yourself every opportunity to be successful. You use what you can control to change your behavior and achieve positive results.

Playing not to lose is an approach that allows you to avoid risk in order to keep the status quo. This behavior is often rooted in a fear of failure.

Road block. Lack of forward movement to achieve needed results or advancement.

Working to be a leader. Learning from your environment with a level of self-awareness about ways you can continue to grow, innovate, and expand your horizons.

Workplace intelligence. Workplace intelligence is more than your IQ. Your intelligence quotient makes up only a percentage of your abilities to perform and succeed in the workplace. Being highly skilled or earning advanced degrees doesn't guarantee high workplace intelligence. These are ingredients that factor into your overall performance at work. The rest of the effectiveness of your performance is made up of the three areas of workplace intelligence.

1. Emotional Intelligence
   The ability to perceive and manage your emotions — and that of your colleagues.
   
2. Social Intelligence
   An understanding of how a group of individuals interacts and behaves within an environment.
   
3. Cultural Awareness
   Appreciation for the diverse backgrounds of colleagues and knowledge of the distinct atmosphere of the workplace.

To set up a time to speak with Leigh about your playing field, contact Leigh@LTR-NYC.com

Leigh's well-received seminars for corporate, professional, and student audiences are on the changing culture of the workplace and how to develop and implement her six leadership traits. Sample topics of her customized programs include:

Working to be a Leader to Earn Respect, Trust, and Advancement. Learn or improve upon six basic traits to level the playing field of professional and personal competing commitments.

Leading from Your Core for Greater Impact. Develop authenticity by finding out what keeps others from experiencing your essential skills and an empowered presence.

Does Leadership Have a Gender? A Race? A review of media, messages, and myths that hinder recognition of commonalities among leaders and universal capabilities.

Leigh's leadership coaching is a process that can be delivered in different formats:

• Executive — A senior vice president needs to tone down her alpha behavior to get greater buy-in from her followers and grow her organizational effectiveness.
  
• Dyad — Two executives need objective feedback on how to air and resolve the conflicts keeping them from collaborating and communicating honestly.
  
• Team — A collection of individuals who need to step up to their next level of collective functioning as a cohesive unit.

To find out more about how Leigh's seminars or coaching process can break down and clear barriers blocking top-level performance, please contact Leigh@LTR-NYC.com

Our conversations helped me identify my strategy and lay out a path to effectively communicate my ideas. — Vice president, Wall Street firm

Seeing my behaviors translated to numbers in the 360 assessment has a positive effect on my performance. When you quantify how I act, this feedback is real. — Vice president, Wall Street firm

I wish the workshop was three and not just two days; I learned so very much from you that I can take right back to my job. — Vice president, technology division, federal government

The program covered a well-defined area of topics and inter-related them to practical workplace situations. — Vice president, financial services firm

The time in Ms. Henderson’s seminar was extremely valuable. Excellent presenter. I’m looking forward to using this information with my team. — Vice president, communications company