. . . So begins many articles and debates. ButI found myself immediately attracted to the title of this article by Sally Helgeson in the latest issue of Strategy & Business: The Dance of Power.

Helgeson suggests that which side you’re on probably determines whether or not you believe leadership can be taught. More importantly she argues that in order for us to respond to the challenges of today’s 24/7 business environment, perhaps the art-versus-science dichotomy is too theoretical to be of any real practical use, and perhaps she is right. We often tell our clients that having “practices” in their daily lives and routines is important for balance and so it makes perfect sense that in order to become good at what we do – we have to practice.

Richard Strozzi-Heckler has built a distinctive and influential career based on the proposition that leadership is neither art nor science, but rather a practice that can be developed and trained for. Just as a pianist must run through scales in preparation for a concert and a ballplayer must spend time in the batting cage before a game, so in Strozzi-Heckler’s view can a leader methodically build fluency and muscle through the regular exercise of disciplines that require simultaneous physical and mental effort.

“Human beings change through practice,” he says. “You can be very smart, but if you just talk about something, you never learn to do it. And practice requires being systematic, performing a sequence of movements over and over until it becomes part of your physical being, part of who you are.”

It is the “art of becoming” through doing which probably sounds a lot like Eastern philosophy than what we have come to believe is leadership development. At 1-Focus International we stress the importance of reflection, awareness and trust in order to be a truly collaborative leader. As Lieutenant Colonel Fred Krawchuk says in the article:

We think leaders are the guys who say, ‘Let’s just get it done.’ But that shortchanges thoughtfulness and reflection. How do we bring these qualities together? We develop awareness. If we can be fully present with other people and grounded in ourselves, we can integrate observation with our capac­ity to act.”

If you would like to take a look at our Collaborative Leadership model, please go to the our “assessments” tab at the top. Drop us an email to view a demo of our Collaborative Leadership 360 Assessment.