It was once the case that a company looked to one leader to inspire them by his or her example, much as a rugby or football coach could take a team of average players and lead them on to a championship victory. Those days, sadly, are nearly gone. Business moves so fast these days with so much data to keep track of and so many new products and services continually emerging that there simply cannot be just one leader in many companies. Instead, a company needs a whole culture of leadership within itself which promotes those who take initiative to make things happen for the company when called upon to do so. Each department within a company, in fact, requires a leader or leaders of its own.

The dynamic and globally reaching economy of New South Wales demands the presence of this new ethos in business; a culture of leadership which works in tandem with the national economic strategies of the nation of Australia as it continues to go strong into the new century. The state of NSW says in its economic plans: "a strong economy allows us to provide the excellent services such as healthcare, education, and policing which the public expects...we are...innovative people who want a society built on fairness, equity, and collaboration...(a) society built on these principles will be more productive, wealthier, and fairer."

A company in this new century should also be run in this fashion.

FIRST STEP: BUILDING TRUST AND A SHARED VISION

A company's top management needs to get everyone in the organisation on the same page. Everyone has to want the same things and share extremely similar objectives for the company. In this way, everyone's individual and departmental efforts are going toward the same ends, reducing strife and maximising productivity of the company as a dynamic organisation. When people in a company feel inspired and feel that they are creating value, they are naturally motivated and whatever individual leadership talents they possess naturally begin to emerge for the benefit of all.

In a company where everyone shares a vision for the future of the organisation, trust will flourish, as will innovation and the willingness to take calculated risks which can cause explosive growth,

This may at first be difficult to achieve since people in the corporate world are so used to being in constant competition. However, with an example set by top management, this goal can be reached. A good way to begin is to encourage employees to share their personal insights and experience with others; first on a departmental level, but eventually throughout the company as a whole.

STEP TWO: EXPLORING THE POSSIBILITIES

People within the company must be brought around to a way of thinking which lets them take new and different possibilities into account. This is the way that top management thinks, but this view must be inculcated company wide. People have to be shown that it is OK to think outside the box and come up with truly new ways of doing things. One way to do this is to get people to sit down and think about some questions which pertain to them personally. These can include: "where do you see yourself in five years? In ten? How about your retirement party, what do you think will be said about you?" Questions about what are the positives - and the negatives of the company could be asked, along with questions dealing with how to handle unforeseen events are good ways to foster this sort of creative thinking.

Management should then sit down and look carefully at what people have said. This should be shared with team leaders and department heads and then on down to everyone, who can then think more about what has been learned through this exercise.

STEP THREE: ESTABLISHING AN ACTION PLAN

Now that employees are all on the same page and they and management know what possibilities to explore to make the company more prosperous, a sharply focused plan of action for the business that includes roles for everyone can be drawn up. Different groups and teams take on different goals that all get directed toward the same shared goals and vision, with top management acting as the guiding force.

With a culture of leadership now established, a company can be more productive, forward thinking and of course, profitable.