What is Leadership?

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​People often ask the question “What is Leadership?
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In my view Dolly Pardon’s words sum up leadership perfectly. “If your actions create a legacy that inspires others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, then, you are an excellent leader.  It would be fair to suggest that in today’s world an organisation or business’s greatest asset is its people, which throws the spotlight on quality leadership.   

Successful leadership is not about carving out a space for personal gratification or position; it is about having the ability to influence and guide others to undertake a journey with you, a journey that is clearly and collaboratively defined and has both personal and organisational benefit.  Outstanding leaders have a great sense of humility; they lead from behind, which does not mean abrogating responsibilities.  It means being actively engaged, setting clear collaborative goals, enabling innovation and stepping forward in key moments to unlock everyone's potential.  It is not just about you!

Effective leaders possess the qualities of integrity, accountability, empathy, humility, resilience, vision, influence, and positivity.  “Management is about persuading people to do things they do not want to do, while leadership is about inspiring people to do things, they never thought they could.” www.adamenfroy.com › leadership-qualities

Committed leaders Never give up!  They are willing to move out of their comfort zone in order to grow. This is probably one of the most challenging but useful pieces of advice a leader can receive, because it suggests vulnerability.  

Dr. William Glasser MD (William Glasser Institute) has developed an approach to management that he terms “Lead Management”.  His comparison between an internal control psychology and an external control psychology lends itself very well to the idea of management.  Leaders in organisations must be effective as both leaders and managers.

Glasser says, employers cannot “make” their employees work!  It is only in the context of caring and inclusive leadership that an employer is able to influence the workers in a positive and productive manner.  Glasser contrasts the approach of a “Boss Manager” who relies on external control psychology with that of a “Lead Manager” who operates from an internal control psychology.

Glasser identifies Lead Management as the opposite style to that of Boss Management. Lead Managers use the language of “we” whereas Boss Managers use the language of “I”.  Successful lead managers lead by example, listen, are honest and real, develop trust, share the vision and teach self-evaluation.

The obvious application of Lead Management is in the workplace, however the principles can also be effectively applied in our everyday life, for example, in teaching children to develop the skills of collaboration and cooperation in managing their lives.

BOSS MANAGERS

• set the tasks and standards
• tell employees what to do
• inspect or grade the work
• coerce

LEAD MANAGERS

• engage in discussion regarding the quality of the work
• show or model the job to be done
• ask workers to evaluate their own work
• facilitate, mentor and teach

wgii.ie › management