Collaboration is top leadership challenge, AMA survey says

Getting people who have different agendas to work together is one of the biggest obstacles facing business leaders today, according to a recent survey conducted by . In that survey, 60 percent of executives who responded listed lack of collaboration as one of their top leadership challenges.

For the survey, AMA polled 461 members and customers about leadership and business challenges they face. Participants were asked to select five challenges from a provided list.

Other ranking challenges were balancing competing demands and priorities (ranked second by 56 percent of respondents), followed by motivating and inspiring employees in a world of constant change (48 percent), accomplishing difficult assignments without the necessary resources (45 percent), balancing the needs of the organization with those of the individuals (42 percent), adjusting to a faster pace and a more dimensional job (37 percent) and staying connected to people and avoiding becoming isolated and aloof (34 percent).

The survey also asked respondents what characteristics and skills they considered necessary for effective leadership in the modern workplace. According to the survey, 56 percent chose ethical behavior, 51 percent chose sound judgment and 47 percent chose adaptability/flexibility. However, communication skills (84 percent), being able to motivate and inspire others (56 percent) and having team-building skills (46 percent) were the top three leadership skills selected.

The survey also noted that the top three challenges facing businesses are:

recruiting, retaining and training talented employees;

developing and implementing business strategies that result in profitable returns; and

reducing operating costs to increase efficiency.

To help address these workplace issues, AMA is presenting an 80th anniversary forum, "Meeting the Challenges of Leadership," Nov. 20-21 in New York City. Information about this and other AMA programs is available online at www.amanet.org.

The American Management Association is a membership-based management development organization representing more than 500,000 AMA members and customers. AMA routinely conducts surveys of its members and corporate customers on timely management and workplace issues.