What is the ONE thing I need to know about Leadership?
I had just finished speaking on the subject of leadership, when after class a young energetic man asked me a question. “What is the ONE thing that I need to know about leadership?” I vividly recall that many ideas, traits, and skills ran through my mind. His eyes were gleaming with anticipation as he was waiting to hear the words of a presumed expert on leadership. After some speedy reflection, I informed him with a gentle response, “the ONE thing you need to know about leadership… is that you need to know more than ONE thing.”
I love the subject of leadership! I know how important it is to our lives and society. I am deeply interested in all aspects of leadership and will continue to be a lifetime learner in this field. However, the subject of leadership is complex. It has been studied for thousands of years, yet still remains a mystery.
Nonetheless, based on my experience there are FIVE important things you need to know about leadership.
Multiple definitions of leadership exist.. Many years ago, I heard a definition of leadership that has stuck with me: the ability to influence a group of people towards the achievement of a goal(s). Every part of this definition is learnable. When broken down, leadership has five components:
- Leadership is about abilities. Being successful in leadership requires having the skills to do something well. Many abilities and competencies can be learned or developed such as communication, problem solving, team work, delegation and creativity. It is imperative to your leadership to continue to challenge yourself and enhance your skills. Some of our abilities are inherent, others need to be acquired. Either way, born or bred these skills need to be cultivated.
- Leadership is about influence. Influence is the capacity to have an effect on the character, development or behavior of someone. John Maxwell, my coach and mentor, in his book Developing the Leader Within You states that “sociologists tell us that even the most introverted individual will influence ten thousand other people during his or her lifetime.” The question is not if you will influence others, the question is what type of influencer will you be. Be intentional.
- Leadership is about people. If you call yourself a leader and no one is following, you are just taking a long walk. The reason why we lead is to impact others. Leadership is about developing relationships with others in order to achieve outcomes that utilize and maximize everyone’s potential and abilities. Emotional intelligence is paramount as we connect with all types of people. Leadership is not about manipulating or controlling others for personal gains. Leadership is about relating and serving others. It is not about power but empowering others.
- Leadership is about actions. Nothing is more discouraging than the leader that is all talk. Taking people toward somewhere specific demands processes, decisions and risks. Leadership is about strategic movements that go from the theoretical to the practical. Hope is not a strategy! Leadership entails action-oriented practices that explore and pursue particular outcomes. Leadership is about “doing.”
- Leadership is about the future: It has been said that the first responsibility of a leader is to define reality. If that is true, the second one is, to visualize a preferable future. We must begin with the end in mind—a clear mental image produced by the imagination of a group of people seeking an alternative reality. Leadership is future based and is open to hearing the other voices that are participating in the journey. Leadership is about creating change while working towards a mutual goal.
Leadership is for ALL!