WHAT MAKES A LEADER?
Travis Bradberry, Ph.D.
What makes someone a leader anyway?
Such a simple question, and yet it continues to
vex some of the best thinkers in business. We’ve written several books on
leadership, and yet it’s a rare thing to actually pause to define leadership.
Let’s start with what leadership is not...
Leadership
has nothing to do with seniority or one’s position in the hierarchy of a
company
Too many talk about a company’s leadership
referring to the senior most executives in the organization. They are just
that, senior executives. Leadership doesn’t automatically happen when you reach
a certain pay grade. Hopefully you find it there, but there are no guarantees.
Leadership has nothing to do with titles
Similar to the point above, just because you have
a C-level title, doesn’t automatically make you a “leader.” We often stress the
fact that you don’t need a title to lead. You can be a leader in your
workplace, your neighborhood, or your family, all without having a title.
Leadership has nothing to do with personal
attributes
Say the word “leader” and most people think of a
domineering, take-charge, charismatic individual. People often think of icons
from history like General Patton or President Lincoln. But leadership isn’t an
adjective. We don’t need to be extroverted or charismatic to practice
leadership. And those with charisma don’t automatically lead.
Leadership isn’t management
This is the big one. Leadership and management are
not synonymous. You have 15 people in your downline and P&L responsibility?
Good for you, hopefully you are a good manager. Good management is needed.
Managers need to plan, measure, monitor, coordinate, solve, hire, fire, and so
many other things. Managers spend most of their time managing things.
Leaders lead people.
So,
again, what makes a leader?
Let’s see how some of the most respected business
thinkers of our time define leadership, and let’s consider what’s wrong with
their definitions.
Peter
Drucker: “The only definition of a leader is someone
who has followers.”
Really? This instance of tautology is so
simplistic as to be dangerous. A new Army Captain is put in the command of 200
soldiers. He never leaves his room, or utters a word to the men and women in
his unit. Perhaps routine orders are given through a subordinate. By default
his troops have to “follow” orders. Is the Captain really a leader? Commander
yes, leader no. Drucker is of course a brilliant thinker, but his definition is
too simple.
Warren
Bennis: “Leadership is the capacity to translate
vision into reality.”
Every spring you have a vision for a garden, and
with lots of work carrots and tomatoes become a reality. Are you a leader? No,
you’re a gardener. Bennis’ definition seems to have forgotten “others.”
Bill
Gates: “As we look ahead into the next century, leaders
will be those who empower others.”
This definition includes “others” and empowerment
is a good thing. But to what end? We've seen many empowered “others” in life,
from rioting hooligans to Google workers who were so misaligned with the rest
of the company they found themselves unemployed. Gates’ definition lacks goals
and vision.
John
Maxwell: “Leadership is influence—nothing more,
nothing less.”
We like minimalism but this reduction is too much.
A robber with a gun has “influence” over his victim. A manager has the power to
fire team members which provides a lot of influence. But does this influence
make a robber or a manager a leader? Maxwell’s definition omits the source of
influence.
So
what is leadership?
DEFINITION: Leadership
is a process of social influence which maximizes the efforts of others toward
the achievement of a greater good.
Notice the key elements of this definition:
1.
Leadership stems from social influence, not authority or
power.
2.
Leadership requires others, and that
implies they don’t need to be “direct reports.”
3.
No mention of personality traits,
attributes, or even a title; there are many styles, many paths to effective
leadership.
4.
It includes a greater good, not influence with no intended outcome.
Leadership is a mindset in action. So, don’t wait
for the title. Leadership isn’t something that anyone can give you – you have
to earn it and claim it for yourself.
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