1. Leaders have a vision.
Just like Martin Luther King, Jr., you must have a dream. If you are going to lead, you must have an idea of where you want to go or what you want to accomplish. This is your vision; this is your dream; it is the map off which you operate. Often times, your vision is what will attract people to you, and you want people on board. A leader without followers is just someone taking a walk! Think about what it is you want to do or where you want to take your organization and work on being able to articulate this vision to others. The ability to do so will draw people to your team and, remember, it takes teamwork to make the dream work!2. Leaders have passion for what they want to accomplish.
Passion for achieving something, much like attitudes, can prove to be contagious. However, people need to see this passion in what you do and you need to be able to convey your passion for your vision to others. In my opinion, life is far too short to waste time on anything we are no committed to accomplishing. If you are not "all in" then keep looking. Your passion will attract others with a similar passion, which will allow you to achieve what many would deem to be impossible.3. Leaders possess a certain amount of humility.
Don't worry, if you do not possess humility, trying to lead others will often serve to quickly and effectively humble you! You will quickly find out that it is not about you; if it is, you will not be leading very long. Leadership, at its essence, is about mobilizing and motivating others to achieve a common goal or objective. To do so, you must like people; to like people you must possess a certain amount of humility.
4. Leaders have a thick skin.
Leaders are biased, they can't help it. They have a certain goal or objective they want to achieve and they probably also believe there are certain methods that will allow them to achieve this goal. Naturally there are people who will disagree with them not only in regard to the methods they utilize, but also in the goals they pursue. Thus, leaders, by their very nature open themselves up to criticism from others. Moreover, those unable to develop a cogent argument against your goals, strategy, and tactics will attack you personally. In particular, they will look for inconsistencies between what you say and what you do and they will exploit any possible character flaws--past or present. Opening yourself up to this type of criticism comes with the territory when you choose to be a leader
5. Leaders care about and believe in people.
Leaders need people. Moreover, leaders need people to sacrifice their own agendas, to subjugate their respective egos for the good of the team, organization, group, etc. This is a monumental task, but one made easier when the people you are trying to lead know that you care about their welfare and believe in them. I would argue that in order to lead you must care about and believe in people or you will be a total failure in leading others. Leadership is all about people: it is about bringing people together; building people up; and appealing to their better nature in an effort to create synergy to accomplish some specified goal. This takes time, effort and, most importantly concern for others.
I am curious as to what you think about leadership. Is there a critical shortage of leaders in today's world? What elements of leadership do you believe to be most important? Who is your favorite leader? What is the most important leadership lesson you have learned? Please feel free to leave any comments or feedback you deem appropriate--I think this is a conversation worth having.
Chris, thank you for the very insightful article brother. My favorite part is No. 5 because it seems that the element of care is not found very often nowadays. I believe that people often get confused between a Boss and a Leader, and I have been trying to explain what it takes to be a leader throughout my PhD thesis work. I am currently finalizing my main thesis under the title of "A Boss or A Leader?" and I will be glad to share it with all of you once its ready.
ReplyDeleteI would say that there are several factors that define leaders, moreover, there are more factors that define great leaders! In the highly competitive world we live in today, we all try to be the best of the best, so to me aiming to just be a leader is not good enough; people want leaders to remember; they need great leaders.
The elements you discuss are a MUST-HAVE for all great leaders. Missing one of them just won't cut it for any leader. I just would like to highlight here that care includes empathy. Through my work on leadership I found out that certain people mistake empathy for weakness. I just would like to clarify here that empathy means: "feeling what others feel and understanding their concerns" or as we would normally say "putting yourself in someone else's shoe". Having that said, empathy does not mean agreeing to others or going by what they want. I believe that such wrong impressions about care or empathy are what may hold certain leaders back from knowing their subordinates better and caring about them.
Thanks again for the great article brother and I look forward to reading more of your work.
Sam Horness
I feel that all of the above elements are pertinent to being a great leader. I find that this society is filled with many who have the ability to lead but choose not to. I believe they do this because many current leaders have become complacent with their ways and do not make room for anyone new. A great leader nurtures leaders. A great leader is humble enough to follow when necessary, for instance if someone else could do your job better, step aside! It would add value to the whole organization. If an organization fails when the regular leader is absent, that leader has failed their team. That would qualify them to be a boss versus a leader. I agree the two are commonly confused.
ReplyDeleteAn all-time great leader, in my opinion, is Martin Luther King, Jr. He possessed a vision many could not fathom. Many were unable to stretch their mind to the limits to come up with such a vision. Great leaders possess the ability to influence others, to do good or bad. As Hitler exemplified, a leader has a choice to do right or wrong, as long as people buy into their vision. People are ignorant to the fact that leaders are not always good, just because someone steps up to plate does not mean they have good intentions to benefit everyone. This is a great reason why people should become more aware of whom we allow to be in charge because we could be in situations where there is someone else who is a million times more qualified than the person in charge but due to lack of humble leaders, this person do not possess the confidence or other common characteristics of leaders to take over.
I very much enjoyed this article. It is time that the world listened to your awesome views on leadership as I have for the last four years.
Kalyn Brown
Kalyn, thanks for checking in! You make a great point when you say "A great leader is humble enough to follow when necessary, for instance if someone else could do your job better, step aside! It would add value to the whole organization. If an organization fails when the regular leader is absent, that leader has failed their team. That would qualify them to be a boss versus a leader. I agree the two are commonly confused."
DeleteI agree with your comments about MLK,Jr. In fact, I enclosed a copy of the text of his "I have a dream" speech in my weekly update to families this week. Moreover, I am planning on blogging about him, that speech, and the importance of having a vision this weekend.
Sam, thanks for the feedback! I miss seeing you each summer, my friend. I think you are spot-on in your mention of empathy. It is something I am trying to keep at the forefront of my thoughts as a school leader. It is very easy to forget how tough classroom teachers have it on a daily basis, so I am trying to get in classrooms as often as possible and to continually check in on them in an effort to gain insight into what they are facing.
ReplyDeleteChris, I have no doubt in my mind that there couldn't be a better man in this position than you brother. Your school is more than lucky to have you as a director and more important a true leader. I miss seeing you every summer too brother. The minute I'm back home I promise to let you know so that we can meet up if your time allows.
DeleteKeep up the great work Chris.
Sam
I will leave out the 5 points highlighted by Chris, accepted as truths, in order to succinctly answer questions and parallel analogous examples placed to the forefront of my claim(s). Hertofore no one should be surprised in reason nor in overtness of my claim made in this post. Their is a shortage of leaders worldwide, if not the world would not spin in chaos. The main element of leadership is influence. True power does not power trip, therefore, ALL power is in the omnipotent Yawheh (God), son (Jesus), and Holy Spirit( residing within us).
ReplyDeleteSuch insight, by Chris, is the impetus which serves for thought to incite one's priority toward leadership. One must pose questions essential in approaching the mentality of a leader:
Would it not be better suited a man to journey down the road which other men have reaping success? Notwithstanding the aforementioned question, in order to pose another asking has there been 'man'kind who has governed over all men to where quintessence was in ubiquity?
From a book cited by the United States Constitution, it only seemed fit for me to utilize "The Prince" by Niccolo Machiavelli to answer my first question." Men nearly always follow the tracks made by others and proceed in their affairs by imitation, even though they can not entirely keep to the tracks of others or emulate the prowess of their models. So a prudent man must always follow in the footsteps of great men and imitate those who have been outstanding. If his prowess fails to compare with theirs, at least it has an air of greatness about it." Sounds like the American idiom, "Shoot for the moon,even if you miss, you will land amongst the stars", right? Better to analyze how an archer must shoot higher than the target to reach the desired mark.
I claim that to imitate man implies accepting a flawed nature and TRUE leadership is never reached as for placement by 'man'kind. For instance, stated in the following from Genesis 1:26,27 :
26 Then God said, “Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness, so that they may rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky, over the livestock and all the wild animals,[a] and over all the creatures that move along the ground.”
27 So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.
Interpreted as I am made like God and MUST imitate Him and all those who stood in faith and on His word. We know, John 1:1 places Jesus as the INTERPRETATION of God's spoken word. One example being from the prophet Isaiah, in Isaiah 9:6 which states " For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders, and He will be called Wonderful Counselor, Prince of Peace, Mighty God." Think about it.
The power of volition has repeated throug history showing that 'man'kind can reason, critically create and think, build, and innovate a new world but CAN NOT lead it. So those appointed in position search a "New World Order" or as Latin and your dollar bill states Novus Ordo Seclurum, are leading us where?
I state that there has never been a leader chosen on this earth that has left an indelible mark on history as Jesus, Lord and Savior for a world from which all sins he bore. Isaiah 43:25 states, " I, even I am he who blots out your transgressions and remember your sins no more."
Jesus is the one whom I seek to live my life accordingly to, and if I stick to the caveat by Niccolo Machiavelli I will not fail for one who was of the earth but not from the earth = His will be done or in Latin fiat voluntas tua. It is to say, Lord take me, mold me, and USE me in YOUR will. This is the most important leadership lesson I have learned. Do not live life, live it on purpose. One must fast, pray, and obey the Lord for each has an appointed purpose on earth.
Love you Coach.
God bless,
Tyler Wilson
Tyler, great to hear from you and I hope you know the love is mutual!!! The Bible is full of lessons on leadership and my church used the book of Nehemiah in conjunction with Developing the Leader Within You by John C. Maxwell. Why are you reading The Prince? I hope all is well with you and your family and I look forward to seeing you soon.
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