What Really is Leadership Anyway?
The words ‘leader’ and ‘leadership’ get bandied around a lot, and sometimes are used in ways that contribute to a lack of clarity about what leadership really is.
We use the term ‘leadership’ to refer to the group of individuals at the helm of an organization, and we use the term ‘leadership’ when we are calling out influential behaviour shown by an individual. Both are true. And sometimes not.
We use the term ‘leader’ when we refer to the person in charge of a team or a process. This might be true. And sometimes not.
True leadership has nothing to do with position and everything to do with character. Definitions of leadership need to be rich, wide and thoughtful.
Leaders are people to whom others look for vision, for direction, for purpose, for engagement, for inspiration, for support, for encouragement, for learning – and so much more. A leader does so much more than merely ensuring that the work is getting done to a reasonable standard – that’s the role of a manager. A leader, along with their managerial responsibilities, inspires people with meaning around the work, helping people see beyond their daily tasks, giving them meaningful relevance in the bigger picture of the organization. Therefore, if you are a manager, you might not necessarily be a leader. If you are a leader, you are also an effective manager.
Some people are leaders without a position at all. People who have influence over others in a positive way in a team, inspiring and encouraging people to be the best that they can be.
Chinese philosopher Lao Tsu is attributed to saying:
"When the best leader’s work is done, the people will say, ‘We did it ourselves.’"
This is a great paradox of true leadership and reflects the values and principles of servant leadership that are becoming more and more popular in the corporate world, and on which The Salvation Army bases its philosophy of leadership, through the example of Jesus Christ. Jesus, in a final discourse before his death, encouraged his disciples by saying to them that they would do greater things than he ever did (John 14:12). This is an amazing statement from Jesus, the Messiah and Lord, Creator of the universe, all-powerful and all-knowing. And yet his heart is for others to shine, to do greater, to do better. What better example of servant leadership than that? Do we, as leaders, work for the people in our teams to do better and greater than we do? It’s a challenge worth thinking about.
For further reflection:
- The Paradox of Leadership – Michael Shinagel: Harvard Extension School Professional Development
- Servant Leadership Revisited – Ken Blanchard: The Ken Blanchard Companies
