What makes someone a leader anyway?<\/p>\n
Such a simple question, and yet it continues to vex some of the best thinkers in business. We’ve written several books on leadership, and yet it’s a rare thing to actually pause to define leadership.<\/p>\n
Let\u2019s start with what leadership is not\u2026<\/em><\/p>\n Leadership has nothing to do with seniority or one\u2019s position in the hierarchy of a company. <\/strong>Too many talk about a company\u2019s leadership referring to the senior most executives in the organization. They are just that, senior executives. Leadership doesn\u2019t automatically happen when you reach a certain pay grade. Hopefully you find it there, but there are no guarantees.<\/p>\n Leadership has nothing to do with titles<\/strong>. Similar to the point above, just because you have a C-level title, doesn\u2019t automatically make you a \u201cleader.\u201d We often stress the fact that you don\u2019t need a title to lead. You can be a leader in your workplace, your neighborhood, or your family, all without having a title.<\/p>\n Leadership has nothing to do with personal attributes<\/strong>. Say the word \u201cleader\u201d and most people think of a domineering, take-charge, charismatic individual. People often think of icons from history like General Patton or President Lincoln. But leadership isn\u2019t an adjective. We don\u2019t need to be extroverted or charismatic to practice leadership. And those with charisma don\u2019t automatically lead.<\/p>\n Leadership isn\u2019t management.<\/strong>\u00a0 This is the big one. Leadership and management are not synonymous. You have 15 people in your downline and P&L responsibility? Good for you, hopefully you are a good manager. Good management is needed<\/em>. Managers need to plan, measure, monitor, coordinate, solve, hire, fire, and so many other things. Managers spend most of their time managing things<\/em>. Leaders lead people.<\/p>\n So, again, <\/em><\/strong>what makes a leader?<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n Let\u2019s see how some of the most respected business thinkers of our time define leadership, and let\u2019s consider what\u2019s wrong with their definitions.<\/p>\n Peter Drucker: <\/strong>\u201cThe only definition of a leader is someone who has followers.\u201d Really? This instance of tautology is so simplistic as to be dangerous. A new Army Captain is put in the command of 200 soldiers. He never leaves his room, or utters a word to the men and women in his unit. Perhaps routine orders are given through a subordinate. By default his troops have to \u201cfollow\u201d orders. Is the Captain really a leader? Commander yes, leader no. Drucker is of course a brilliant thinker, but his definition is too simple.<\/p>\n Warren Bennis: <\/strong>\u201cLeadership is the capacity to translate vision into reality.\u201d Every spring you have a vision for a garden, and with lots of work carrots and tomatoes become a reality. Are you a leader? No, you\u2019re a gardener. Bennis\u2019 definition seems to have forgotten \u201cothers.\u201d<\/p>\n Bill Gates: <\/strong>\u201cAs we look ahead into the next century, leaders will be those who empower others.\u201d John Maxwell: <\/strong>\u201cLeadership is influence \u2013 nothing more, nothing less.\u201d<\/p>\n We like minimalism but this reduction is too much. A robber with a gun has \u201cinfluence\u201d over his victim. A manager has the power to fire team members which provides a lot of influence. But does this influence make a robber or a manager a leader? Maxwell\u2019s definition omits the source<\/em> of influence.<\/p>\n So what is leadership?<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n DEFINITION: <\/strong>Leadership is a process of social influence which maximizes the efforts of others toward the achievement of a greater good.<\/p>\n Notice the key elements of this definition:<\/p>\n Leadership is a mindset in action. So don\u2019t wait for the title. Leadership isn\u2019t something that anyone can give you\u2014you have to earn it and claim it for yourself.<\/p>\n So what do you think of our definition of leadership? Please share your thoughts in the comments section below as we learn just as much from you as you do from us.<\/em><\/p>\n Post Courtesy: Dr.Travis Bradberry<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0Kevin Kruse<\/a>\u00a0.<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" What makes someone a leader anyway? Such a simple question, and yet it continues to vex some of the best thinkers in business. We’ve written …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":151,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[3],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"\n
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\nThis definition includes \u201cothers\u201d and empowerment is a good thing. But to what end? We’ve seen many empowered \u201cothers\u201d in life, from rioting hooligans to Google workers who were so misaligned with the rest of the company they found themselves unemployed. Gates\u2019 definition lacks goals and vision.<\/p>\n\n