Leadership has long been associated with visionary, charismatic leaders who can capture hearts and minds and through a captivating speech - it is hardly surprising as this has been reflected in some of the most renowned leaders: Alexandra, Caesar, Churchill, Kennedy, Thatcher and many more throughout time have built and perpetuated this theme. Yet leadership is not being a person, it is a way of acting or reacting to a set of circumstances.

What is leadership?
An act of leadership happens when someone sees an opportunity to act and has the courage to do so. It isn't about position and doesn't require any special traits or characteristics. We develop people's capacity for noticing when such action is possible or necessary and help them to discover the ways in which they could respond. This approach results in people who act as leaders and who start to look and sound like leaders. Acts of leadership often happen in response to negative situations - conflict, shortfalls, failures or confusion.

Your people are unique and it is that uniqueness that gives them value to your business - we therefore avoid taking the latest leadership theory and trying to make them learn it and slavishly work to that model. Instead we simulate business problems enabling them to understand the role of leadership and (where appropriate) theories and models. By overlaying the companies values we can help your people look out for opportunities to act and the best way to act (that is right for them within this framework). This is what we mean by leadership development.

The Holt can help you:
Experience what real people do in response to real problems See how leadership can influence these real situations Isolate and examine the examples of leadership action produced Illustrate models and bring energy to the way they are understood and applied Promote leadership that encourages autonomy and initiative within a framework of interdependency Build individuals' propensity for action and initiative taking Reflect on success by offering honest un-politicised feedback and challenge Adopt a plan to continue leadership development back in the workplace

Your business will benefit from:

• Action-oriented, self-aware leaders who will improve business performance, profit and revenue
• More committed staff and managers, who will take actions that make a real difference
• Retention of more motivated and engaged people
• Managers who can articulate goals and influence others to help achieve them
• Return on investment based on a clear set of outcomes
• Success that can be measured

It is a leadership development solution which works resulting in real change within the workplace and proven return on investment