DEFINITION: Leadership is a process of influence, which maximises the efforts of others, towards the achievement of a goal.
It seems easy to consider what leadership is, but we should also consider what leadership is not…
Leadership has nothing to do with seniority or position in the hierarchy of a company. Too many people talk about a company’s leadership in reference to the senior most executives in the organisation. Leadership doesn’t automatically happen when employees reach a certain pay rate.
Leadership actually has nothing to do with titles, in fact people don’t need a title to lead. A leader can be found anywhere – amongst your circle of friends, in your family, in groups you belong to – without even having a title.
Also, leadership is not linked to personal attributes. The word “leader” makes most people think of a domineering, bossy individual. Leadership isn’t an adjective; individuals don’t need to have extroverted charismatic traits to practice leadership.
Leadership isn’t about management. Leadership and management are not one and the same thing. We mustn’t forget good management is required in business. Managers are needed for planning, coordinating, problem solving, and much more. A manager manages things; leaders lead people.
So, what is leadership?
Leadership originates from the ability to influence others. Leaders have a clear goal. Leadership is about maximising effort.
The better leader is at understanding their teams and the situation, the better the leader will be able to complete actions that constitute good leadership. By listening to, understanding, seeing and experiencing the daily activities of their leader, the team will be able to develop the ability to make decisions for themselves. A myth is that “not all are leaders” however, we all play leadership and follower roles according to time, situation, and in business over and over again.
Leaders help themselves and others to do what’s right. They set direction, build an inspiring goal or vision. Leadership is about planning which path is needed to “win” as a team or organisation.
