Leadership is a Journey not a Destination

Dr. Claude Toland, Director of Education, Universal Technical Institute – Houston

Dr. Claude Toland, Director of Education, Universal Technical Institute – Houston

In my journey to becoming a leader, I have come to understand that leadership is not a destination but a continuous process of growth, learning, and adaptation. Leadership demands resilience, self-awareness, and a commitment to personal and professional development. It is shaped by experiences, challenges, and the ability to inspire and empower others along the way.

I was fortunate to begin my leadership journey at AT&T through a distinguished development program called Leadership for the Future. This intensive, week-long program provided a comprehensive framework for effective leadership, grounded in the principles of The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen R. Covey. The curriculum was designed to cultivate essential leadership skills, including proactive decision-making, strategic thinking, and fostering a culture of trust and collaboration.

Through this experience, I gained invaluable insights into the power of intentional leadership—leading with integrity, prioritizing what truly matters, and continuously striving for excellence. The lessons from this program continue to influence my approach to leadership, reinforcing the importance of adaptability, emotional intelligence, and a growth mindset in navigating the complexities of today's dynamic business environment.

“Leaders will need skills to ensure they are able to transform a group of mixed-generation employees into a Dr. Claude Toland productive work team”

The topic of leadership continues to amaze me. It is not like an automobile or a telephone, where you can figure out why it works or why it does not work. There has been an evolution of models and styles over the years that continue to mix and blend. Theorists continue to research this topic; however, Rost in Harrison (1999, ¶ 2) states, “Practitioners of leadership were no more sure of what leadership was in 1990 than they were in 1930.” One thing they do agree on is that leadership is important. Leadership continues to evolve based on the changes that face organizations today and in the future.

We have learned that on the leadership journey, leaders must be people of integrity and be able to use their honesty and integrity to provide motivational environments (BanutuGomez, 2004). Values indicate what the leader believes. If there are no existing values, the leader could take any action necessary to get what they want. When we have a leader lacking in values, we have a leader lacking in beliefs. Kouzes and Posner (2002) identified several leaders of the past and present and identified that one thing in common with great leaders was that they had strong beliefs in values and principles. “People expect their leaders to speak out on matters of values and conscience” (Kouzes & Posner, 2002, p.46).

We know that leaders of the future will be faced with different issues than leaders have faced in the last thirty years. The workforce is changing in age and cultural makeup. As we enter the next century, many are concerned about the future workforce. What will it look like? How diverse will it be? Will the workforce require mostly educated technical people? Will today’s aging workforce have a place in which to work? How can managers and leaders work to keep unemployment low? There are so many questions to answer on this journey.

I was motivated by my development program called Leadership for the Future to the extent that I earned my doctorate in Management of Leadership in 2006. I was also able to transfer my leadership skills from corporate positions at AT&T to leadership in Higher Education. In higher education, I served as a director in several schools and Campus President at two different schools. I have served as an Associate Faculty at the University of Phoenix for over 20 years in the College of Business and Technology.

Concluding the thoughts of the leadership journey there are questions that need to be answered. What will leaders face in the next 15 years? Will leaders of tomorrow continue to face some of the issues in today’s workforce? Employees of different generations will see things differently. Leaders will need skills to ensure they are able to transform a group of mixed-generation employees into a productive work team. Similarly, the workforce will continue to change in how it is made up of minorities, women, men, and people from all cultures. Leaders must have the ability to bring all the employees together as one team. Technology is changing at a fast pace, and leaders must learn to manage this change. As we all remember and reflect – the journey is worthwhile.