What is Leadership?
Three Styles
- Autocratic – A totalitarian approach demanding instant obedience with no discussion. This is NOT a desirable leadership approach.
- Free-rein – A "hands off" approach effective with highly skilled professionals. However, some individuals expect more direction and structure.
- Participatory – Typically the best approach, involving group decision-making and multiple leadership perspectives, though a leader remains at the head.
Three Components
- Person – The personality traits and leadership attributes the leader brings; individuals respond differently based on personality compatibility.
- Group – Asks: "What kind of leader does this group actually need?" Leaders must assess their fit.
- Situation – Leadership is contextual. The same leader may succeed in one scenario but fail in another due to geographical, cultural, social, political, or management differences.
Three Terms
- Leader – Someone with the ability to influence others toward a direction or goal. "Leadership is influence, nothing more, nothing less" (John Maxwell). Leaders are goal-oriented.
- Administrator/Manager – Result-oriented, focused on order, correcting failures, and operating systems.
Key distinction: Leaders inspire people; managers depend on systems. Managers adapt to change while leaders create it.
Leadership Check Up
Eight diagnostic questions for evaluating leadership strengths and weaknesses:
- How and where do I have influence?
- Influence, not position, makes leaders successful
- Assess current influence levels and relationships
- Consider who influences you
- Identify new arenas for extending influence
- Where can I improve my people skills?
- Long-term success depends on developing people
- Evaluate listening abilities
- Discover what motivates your team
- Seek more input from others
- Do I have a positive outlook?
- A negative spirit diminishes leadership potential
- Emotional mastery provides advantages during crises
- Crisis situations reveal and value leadership most
- Do I see evidence of growth in self-discipline?
- Time management discipline
- Ability to delay gratification for worthwhile goals
- Professional appearance and work habits
- Do I have a proven track record of success?
- Busyness doesn't indicate accomplishment
- Past success predicts future success
- Consider accomplishments involving others
- Assess willingness to replicate previous efforts
- How are my problem-solving skills?
- Identifying problems is easy; solving them requires leadership
- Leadership exists where problems exist
- Focus energy on solutions rather than blame
- Do I refuse to accept the status quo?
- Growing leaders value progress over security
- Dissatisfaction with current state coupled with vision for improvement
- Willingness to take risks and pay the price for success
- Do I have a big-picture mindset?
- Step back regularly to maintain perspective
- Keep sense of direction amid distractions and pressure
- A gifted leader preserves perspective during fatigue
Self-evaluation requires honesty. Most leaders discover areas needing skill development through this assessment.