What is leadership, anyway?

Such a simple question, and yet it continues to vex popular consultants and lay people alike. Ive now written several books on leadership for employee engagement, and yet it occurred to me that I never actually paused to define leadership. Lets start with what leadership is not Leadership has nothing to do with seniority or ones position in the hierarchy of a company. Too many talk about a companys leadership referring to the senior most executives in the organization. They are just that, senior executives. Leadership doesnt automatically happen when you reach a certain pay grade. Hopefully you find it there, but there are no guarantees. Leadership has nothing to do with titles. Similar to the point above, just because you have a C-level title, doesnt automatically make you a leader. In all of my talks I stress the fact that you dont need a title to lead. In fact, you can be a leader in your place of worship, your neighborhood, in your family, all without having a title.

100 Best Quotes on Leadership

Kevin KruseContributor

It's Time to Reinvent YOU

KruseContributor

Kevin

Leadership has nothing to do with personal attributes. Say the word leader and most people thing of a domineering, take-charge charismatic individual. We often think of icons from history like General Patton or President Lincoln. But leadership isnt an adjective. We dont need extroverted charismatic traits to practice leadership. And those with charisma dont automatically lead. Leadership isnt management. 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 isneeded. Managers need to plan, measure, monitor, coordinate, solve, hire, fire, and so many other things. Typically, managers manage things. Leaders lead people. So, again, what is Leadership? Lets see how some of the most respected business thinkers of our time define leadership, and lets consider whats wrong with their definitions. Peter Drucker: The only definition of a leader is someone who has followers. 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 follow orders. Is the Captain really a leader? Commander yes, leader no. Drucker is of course a brilliant thinker of modern business but his definition of leader is too simple. Warren Bennis: Leadership is the capacity to translate vision into reality. 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, youre a gardener. Bennis definition seems to have forgotten others. Bill Gates: As we look ahead into the next century, leaders will be those who empower others. This definition includes others and empowerment is a good thing. But to what end? Ive seen many empowered others in my life, from rioting hooligans to Google workers who were so misaligned with the rest of the company they found themselves unemployed. Gates definition lacks the parts about goal or vision. John Maxwell: Leadership is influence nothing more, nothing less. I like minimalism but this reduction is too much. A robber with a gun has influence 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? Maxwells definition omits the source of influence. So what is leadership? DEFINITION: Leadership is a process of social influence, which maximizes the efforts of others, towards the achievement of a goal

What is Leadership and What Makes a Good Leader?

Posted on April 19, 2013 by Derek Pankaew
There are many definitions of leadership. The Collins English dictionary defines leadership as the leader(s) of a party or group. Yet true leadership is much more than that. A leader can be the CEO of an organization, or a first year employee who leads his or her team to success behind the scenes.

A leader might lead through official authority and power, yet just as often great leaders lead through inspiration, persuasion and personal connections. So what is leadership? One great definition is:

Leadership is the art of leading others to deliberately create a result that wouldnt have happened otherwise.

Its not just the creation of results that makes good leadership. Good leaders are able to deliberately create challenging results by enlisting the help of others. They can single handedly turn failing companies into Fortune 500 organizations. They can change company cultures. Good leadership is an essential key to corporate success. The Characteristics of a Good Leader What makes a good leader? Here are some of their most important characteristics: Self-Awareness. You have an intimate knowledge of your inner emotional state. You know your strengths and your weaknesses. You know when youre working in flow and you know when youre over worked. You know yourself, including your capabilities and your limitations, which allows you to push yourself to your maximum potential. Self-Direction. Youre able to direct yourself effectively and powerfully. You know how to get things done, how to organize tasks and how to avoid procrastination. You know how to generate energy for projects, to calm yourself when angered. You can make decisions quickly when necessary, but can also slow to consider all the options on the table. Vision. Youre working towards a goal thats greater than yourself. It could be something small, like the success of the team, or a larger vision like world peace. Working towards a vision is far more inspiring than working towards personal gain. Ability to Motivate. Leaders dont lead by telling people what they have to do. Instead, leaders cause people to want to help them. A key part of this is cultivating your own desire to help others. When others sense that you want to help them, they in turn want to help you. Social Awareness. Understanding social networks and key influencers in that social network is another key part of leadership. Who in the organization has the most clout, both officially and unofficially? Who moves the hearts of the group? These are some of the most important characteristics of good leaders. Emotional Intelligence and Leadership

Most of these traits tie directly into emotional intelligence (EQ). Leaders with high EQ are intrinsically more self-aware. They understand their mental processes and know how to direct themselves. Theyre more in touch with what theyre deeply passionate about. They naturally care more for others and receive more compassion in return. Theyre more socially in tune. Leadership is more often than not about soft skills rather than hard skills. Yes, a leader who understands what drives the bottom line is valuable. Yet its the leader who can get others to perform at their best who ultimately creates winning organizations. What are some of the main ways you see your leadership skills impacting your workplace performance?

Leadership and 10 Great Leaders from History

Patrick Alain | Apr 15, 2012 | Comments 2

Mahatma Gandhi

Leadership has been defined as a process through which a person influences and motivates others to get involved in accomplishment of a particular task. This single definition, although universally accepted, fails to define the particular paths and ways of people who are deemed as great leaders. All great leaders had something unique about them and yet they were bound by greatness that helped them to lead masses to innovation and new ideologies. Since the oldest times known to men, masses have been led by efficient leaders. Such men and women have been responsible for ushering their people into a new and more modern world as we know of it now. Although times have changed, the contributions of these great leaders cannot be forgotten and although practices and ways of doing things have changed as well, the ways of these great leaders cannot be overlooked. What made them great might still be applicable in todays day and age. Here is a look at some of the greatest leaders of all time and what made them great.

Mahatma Gandhi Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi, better known as Mahatma Gandhi, was born an ordinary boy with a determination to excel at what he did. After completing law from London, he became the most important part of the Indian freedom struggle against the colonial rule. His policy of non-violence and protest through civil disobedience eventually succeeded when he led his country to freedom in 1947. His main characteristics were resilience, knowledge, people-skills, motivational approach and leading by example. George Washington George Washington, known as the founding father of the United States of America, was the leader of the American Revolution and the first president of US. He was a true visionary whose vision has endured for more than 200 years. What made Washington great was his foresight, vision, strategic planning and his ability to lead people to success. Abraham Lincoln The 16 president of the United States is also one of the most well known leaders of all time. He was in office during the American Civil War where he kept the people together and is the only reason that the nation did not break into smaller parts. He also ended slavery in the US by signing the Emancipation Proclamation. His greatest traits were his determination, persistence, beliefs and courage. Adolf Hitler Although despised through the world, Adolf Hitler was one of the greatest leaders of all time. After becoming the chancellor of Germany in 1933, he was responsible for one of the greatest economic and military expansions the world has ever seen. He successfully invaded more than 10 countries with his brilliant strategy and meticulous planning. His oratory skills, propaganda and planning made him a leader par excellence. Muhammad One of the greatest leaders of all time, Muhammad led to the spread of Islam in and around Arabia. His contribution to Islam was such that it has become the second largest and the fastest growing religion of the world today. He united a chaotic society in the name of morality and humanity and led his people out of severe persecution and mistreatment. He led his people to a number of migrations and successful victories in wars against armies much larger than theirs. His greatest leadership qualities were his courage, leading by example, motivational approach, persistence and decisionmaking. Mao Zedong Mao was the leader of the Chinese Revolution and the founding father of the Peoples Republic of China. He successfully endured and repelled the invasion by Japan during the World War II and subsequently transformed the economy of China into one of the major industrialized economies of the world. Because of him, China is a world power and a potent rival to the dominant United States of America.
th

Nelson Mandela Nelson Mandela was the first South African president elected in fully democratic elections. Mandela was also the main player in the anti-apartheid movements in the country and served a lengthy prison sentence because of the same. This did not stop Mandela and in fact motivated him to devote his life to uniting his country and he successfully managed to do so after his release from an almost 30 year prison sentence. His main characteristics were his determination, persistence, focus and will. Julius Caesar Easily one of the greatest military leaders of all time, Caesar was also one of the best political leaders the world has ever seen. He led several campaigns with numerous victories and was single handedly responsible for the expansion of the Roman Empire. He was also responsible for reforming the Roman government and thus laying the foundation to a great empire. His greatest traits were his decisiveness, boldness, eagerness, motivation, opportunism and strategic planning. Fidel Castro Castro was the leader of the Cuban Revolution and later went to become the Prime Minister of Cuba. He also became the President of Cuba from 1976 to 2008. He endured many crisis, invasions and assassination attempts and took them in the stride. His vision for Cuba still stands and he has proved to be an effective leader and commander. His traits of courage, strategy, hiring the right people and dissemination of duties made him the leader he was. Winston Churchill Prime Minister of Britain from 1940 to 1945, Churchill led Great Britain against the Nazi Germany during the World War II. He teamed up with allies and consequently led to the defeat and downfall of Hitler. His tenure as the British Prime Minister was in a time of fear and destruction caused by Hitler and his allies. Churchill was known for his fearlessness, determination, unyielding perseverance and undying devotion to his goal.

Mahathir Mohamad: Doctors make good government leaders

By Doris C. Dumlao, Lito B. Zulueta
Philippine Daily Inquirer
2:04 am | Tuesday, June 12th, 2012 6 595 493

Mahathir Mohamad. AP file photo

Mahathir Mohamad on Monday said his experience as prime minister of Malaysia for two decades should show that physicians, just like lawyers and economists, made good, if not better, government leaders. Medical doctors are methodical, Mahathir said, noting that physicians determine the causes of an illness and prescribe the remedy. Lawyers, on the other hand, argue too much, he quipped. Mahathir, who delivered a lecture at the University of Santo Tomas which conferred on him an honorary professorship, made the statement in response to a comment by UST Faculty of Civil Law Dean Nilo Divina who noted that Malaysia was able to prosper and develop into a regional leader under the leadership of a medical doctor. The 86-year-old Malaysian statesman said that he went against prevailing economic belief during the currency turmoil in 1998 by fixing the ringgit to the dollar in defiance of the International Monetary Fund (IMF). Against austerity measures advised by the IMF and the dominant economic philosophy, Mahathir also increased government spending. The result: Malaysia got out of the crisis ahead of other Southeast Asian countries. Im not bound by economic theories, Mahathir told the UST audience. Sometimes you have to go against them. Mahathir, who arrived in Manila Sunday, carries the title Tunmeaning Knight or Sira designation he received when he was made Grand Commander of the Order of the Defender of the Realm by Malaysia after he stepped down in 2003. He was in Manila to deliver the UST Neo-Centennial Lecture as part of the Dominican universitys celebration of its 401st year as Asias oldest university. Father Herminio Dagohoy, O.P., the new rector magnificus (president) of the University of Santo Tomas, extolled Mahathir as a leader of the developing world. He said the Malaysian leader stood up against the unfounded division by the West of the First and Third Worlds. Dagohoy later named Mahathir an honorary professor of the pontifical university. Collapse of values Mahathir warned that the developing world was experiencing a collapse of values because of the liberal democracy being promoted by the West. Is democracy a means or an end? Mahathir asked. If we think that democracy is the end, then well and good. But why did we change from autocracy to democracy? Wasnt it because autocracy failed to deliver the good life that we wanted? We believed that since it is the people who disapproved of autocracy, then if the people were to rule the country, then surely they would rule themselves well. While admitting that Malaysia is not a liberal democracy, he explained that free -wheeling democracy may result from mediocre leaders, present company included, taking a potshot at the ruling coalition in Malaysia, led by the United Malays Nationalist Organization and Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak. Providing easy way He said Malaysians saw democracy principally as providing an easy way to change governmentsno revolution, no civil wars, no Arab spring. Just vote and the government will be brought down or reelected according to the wishes of the people, he said. I am not against democracy, Mahathir said. But we must apply limits. He said Malaysias racial divisions may be exacerbated by a free -wheeling democracy, resulting in violence. In a state of violence and conflict, one cannot develop, he said. Too much expression of freedom without thinking about the limits (or) without thinking about responsibility is dangerous. If you cannot manage democracy effectively, you cannot reap the dividends. I am not trying to be philosophical and erudite. I am merely trying to relate the things I observed in my country and in many other countries, particularly in the new democracies desperately trying to practice democracy only to obtain negative results, Mahathir said. He said dictatorships like the one in the Philippines during martial law was the result of democracy and the temptations that come with power. Look at what happens when you choose the wrong people, he said. In a democracy, sometimes we choose the wrong people, he added. Then we will have trouble.

Mahathir said that when he was prime minister, he promoted his Look East policy and fashioned his economic program after Japan, the dominant economic power in Asia then. Recently, he said, he was asked by the Japanese if he was still looking to Japan, and he replied that he continued to do so to learn from your mistakes. When we look at models, look at both the right and wrong sides, he said. Despite his diatribe against the West, Mahathir said he refused to call the new century the Asian Century. Asia, he said, cannot exist by itself. Mahathir said the financial and economic crises engulfing the West will affect Asian countries. Against the financial products of the West, which he said were really gambling and proved to be the Wests undoing, he urged Asian countries to stick to manufacturing goods and producing services and keep to the basics of sound economic development.