Captain of industry or apprentice leader? Whether you’re a CEO, the founder of an SME or a self-directing sole trader, becoming an effective business leader takes guts, skill and an awful lot of trial and error.

Every business owner understands that effective leadership and management can improve performance, boost the bottom line and make for a happy, productive workforce. An increasing number of leaders also recognise that real leadership extends far beyond just being the boss, but that it is also a role which can encompass relationship-building, empathy, decisiveness, innovative thinking and inclusivity.

But exactly what are the ingredients for outstanding leadership? How do you learn to lead, and lead well? What pitfalls do you need to dodge as you take your own journey in leadership?

December’s Productivity Club aims to end the year on a forward-thinking theme as we explore modern day leadership and management. We’ll hear from SME organisations how styles and stereotypes of leadership are evolving, and learn how thorny management issues may be tackled to help streamline business performance and workforce productivity.