What Makes a Good Leader?
As populations increase and cultures and people become
more diverse, more issues and problems face us more than ever before. Many
people assume these problems and important issues will be taken care of by government
but this assumption is becoming less and less of a reality. Many of the
critical issues and problems are the kind government is least equipped to
handle. And some of the issues and problems are caused by government itself.
This is why the world needs strong, competent leaders now
more than ever before. Progress can only happen when someone assumes a leadership
role – when someone tackles these problems and takes action to solve the
problem and correct the injustice.
There are plenty of managers out there but what propels
someone to leadership status? What is it that a leader has that a manager or an
authority person doesn’t have?
We tend to admire people who can lead-people who can
capture our imaginations, turn us on to important ideas, and recruit our
energies for great and noble purposes. Progress happens when someone decides
that a better way exists and influences others to find that better way.
What is it that these great leaders had while many others
try and fail?
There are leaders who are followed because they have
authority, they have a formal title or rank and command respect and attention
like Winston Churchill, Abraham Lincoln and George S Patton. People follow them because they are the
boss. On the other spectrum there are
people who are leaders who have earned their leaderships status without a title.
They are respected and followed for what they stand for like Mother Teresa,
Martin Luther King and Mohandas Gandhi.
In all cases, these leaders were individuals who knew how
to influence others. They understood people and they knew how to use the tools
of authority. Of course the ideal way to influence is to have both formal
authority and earned authority. Interestingly, it is common for a person with
no formal authority and high earned authority to have greater influence over
others than someone who has high formal authority but little or no earned
authority. Just look at what MLK, Mother Teresa and Gandhi accomplished. They
earned the respect, trust and allegiance of those who followed them. In
retrospect, can you say the same thing about the bosses you’ve had, your
government officials or even the Presidents of the U. S.?
Today leaders are being asked to provide a new kid of
authority; service leadership. This viewpoint suggests that the role of a
leader, no matter what type of authority is involved, is to lead by helping or
enabling others, not by forcing them. It requires the capacity to lead both
with a focus on service to those benefiting from the end result, and to those
who do the work achieving the objectives. Such leadership requires working with
a spirit and set of values that emphasize worthwhile contributions. Service
leaders see their role as enabling or empowering others to accomplish something
worthy. They are willing to place empowerment above personal power;
contribution above their own ego satisfaction; and the needs of the team above
their own needs for credit and acclaim.
With that said, how many people do you know who qualify
as a leader? Are you a leader?
Source: Toastmaster International –High Performance
Leadership
Posts
