Just a taster!
I have found that three topics are most often named as the quick answer when leaders are asked “what is leadership?”
They are Vision, Inspiration and People Development …in that order. They occur in any business context and are especially relevant to charities.
“VIP” is only a shorthand version of a complex subject, and in any case the most important skills are not taught but “caught” by working alongside other leaders and honed by personal experience.
Leaders also need other qualities, especially in character and values, and there are times when this aspect becomes more important than ‘VIP’. Some leaders miss this vital aspect, so these days I tend to use ‘VIP+C’ as shorthand for it all.
Meanwhile…
Vision
This doesn’t have to be large or prominent in order to be effective. The important thing is that you are, or will eventually be, committed to it with a deep passion. You might not even know what it is yet. Ideally, you will want to work with your team to create it.
A vision is more than a static picture, a mere snapshot of the future. It is something you hold with fervour and personal conviction. I will help you to see the difference between a vision and a mere dream, and to turn your dreams into an achievable vision.
Inspiration
Every battle needs a call to the troops. Every movement needs a mover. Leaders inspire people to follow volitionally, radically, with heart and soul, and not by force or coercion. It is very different from management which is more concerned about controlling things.
Many potential leaders have a great idea, but find that nobody follows until it is expressed motivationally. The skill can be learned and developed.
People Development
This is where leaders often stop short. After some initial excitement about a strategic vision, the followers begin to slow down and lose interest. The best organisational leaders take their teams forward in a more dynamic way, helping them to keep growing professionally, personally and corporately. When leaders learn how to develop others, they achieve exceptional performance; it turns good organisations into great ones.
Incidentally, although I try to give the kind of help that is not available in books or conferences, sometimes a specific resource is worth mentioning. There is one that reinforces what I say in this page: Simon Sinek, The Infinite Game (New York & London: Penguin/Random House, 2019)
© Charles Clayton 2025. If you use this VIP or VIP+C outline to define leadership, kindly mention my name as the source.
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Charles Clayton 