According to Susan Ward at About.com a simple definition of leadership is that leadership is the art of motivating a group of people to act towards achieving a common goal. Put even more simply, the leader is the inspiration and director of the action. He or she is the person in the group that possesses the combination of personality and skills that makes others want to follow his or her direction.
The Catch: the above quote by Susan Ward is a terrific and quick look at leadership, but in my mind there are three additional key elements of leadership: experience, the ability to share that experience, and taking responsibility for yourself.
Recently I had the misfortune or fortune, depending upon how you look at it, to observe three wise people screaming repeatedly at their team for not performing the way they had envisioned. The reality was these individuals have been great motivators and they have inspired. However, they – the leaders - did not have the required experience for the market they were trying to enter resulting in the failure to share information and to teach their team and handed out blame in the most ridiculous and inconsistent manner when they should have stepped up and taken responsibility. And, at the end of the day their leadership was neither motivating nor inspiring.
The Contemplation: Leaders come in all shapes and sizes bringing with them a perspective and understanding that is uniquely their own. They maybe introverted or extroverted, activist or pacifists, a CEO or a cashier at the local grocery store. Leadership is neither born nor made. It is a personal quality that is the direct result of experience, sharing that experience to teach others to achieve something greater than themselves is the responsibility. And, that my friends is motivating and inspiring.
ThInQ About It
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