What is Leadership
For me, leadership is much more than a job or a title. Great leaders construct an environment of passion fueled by positive and creative energy and fun to inspire and support top performance. Great leaders give and demand trust act honest, transparent, and respectful. Great leaders achieve results because they set smart goals. Goals which are Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, and Time-Bound.
Great leaders build teams that outperform the sum of all individual performance.
Attached you find an uncommented list of leadership definitions from great leaders, leadership coaches, and researchers.
“THE ONLY DEFINITION OF A LEADER IS SOMEONE WHO HAS FOLLOWERS.”
“LEADERSHIP IS INFLUENCE – NOTHING MORE, NOTHING LESS.”
“LEADERSHIP IS THE ART OF GETTING SOMEONE ELSE TO DO SOMETHING YOU WANT TO BE DONE BECAUSE HE WANTS TO DO IT.”
“THE LEADER MOBILIZES OTHERS TOWARD A GOAL SHARED BY LEADERS AND FOLLOWERS. … LEADERS, FOLLOWERS, AND GOALS MAKE UP THE THREE EQUALLY NECESSARY SUPPORTS FOR LEADERSHIP.”
“LEADERSHIP IS A FUNCTION OF KNOWING YOURSELF, HAVING A VISION THAT IS WELL COMMUNICATED, BUILDING TRUST AMONG COLLEAGUES, AND TAKING EFFECTIVE ACTION TO REALIZE YOUR LEADERSHIP POTENTIAL.”
“CONTROL IS NOT LEADERSHIP; MANAGEMENT IS NOT LEADERSHIP; LEADERSHIP IS LEADERSHIP. IF YOU SEEK TO LEAD, INVEST AT LEAST 50% OF YOUR TIME IN LEADING YOURSELF—YOUR OWN PURPOSE, ETHICS, PRINCIPLES, MOTIVATION, CONDUCT. INVEST AT LEAST 20% LEADING THOSE WITH AUTHORITY OVER YOU AND 15% LEADING YOUR PEERS.”
“BEFORE YOU ARE A LEADER, SUCCESS IS ALL ABOUT GROWING YOURSELF. WHEN YOU BECOME A LEADER, SUCCESS IS ALL ABOUT GROWING OTHERS.”
“SERVANT LEADERSHIP IS EASY FOR PEOPLE WITH HIGH SELF-ESTEEM... SERVANT LEADERSHIP BUILDS SELF-ESTEEM AND ENCOURAGES INDIVIDUAL GROWTH WHILE OBTAINING THE ORGANIZATION’S OBJECTIVES.”
“THE TASK OF THE LEADER IS TO GET HIS PEOPLE FROM WHERE THEY ARE TO WHERE THEY HAVE NOT BEEN.” — HENRY KISSINGER “YOU DON’T LEAD BY POINTING AND TELLING PEOPLE SOMEPLACE TO GO. YOU LEAD BY GOING TO THAT PLACE AND MAKING A CASE.”
“LEADERS CONCEIVE AND ARTICULATE GOALS THAT LIFT PEOPLE OUT OF THEIR PETTY PREOCCUPATIONS AND UNITE THEM IN PURSUIT OF OBJECTIVES WORTHY OF THEIR BEST EFFORTS.”
Reflection
Find or create your definition of leadership during this course to practice great leadership. The next lessons will help you in that process.
I appreciate your commitment!
Keep going – Udo
