What Leaders Understand

Leaders have many different styles, types and personas and can be found in every profession, industry, community or aspect of our lives. You will find shy or gregarious, vain or humble, friendly or aloof, technical or non-technical, and so forth. You will find leaders sharing and mentoring others in one-on-one, small and large group situations. You will find leaders everywhere.

So, what is it that makes a good leader? Peter Drucker has been recognized for all his research and work in the study of leadership and he noted that there is not a single style, personality or character that can be attributed to a leader. So what, then, is that makes a leader.

Leadership is a behavior, an attitude or set of skills that one practices. It is not the same as "managing" someone, nor is it to be confused with a position one is hired for or a task or project that is delegated to another individual.

Great leaders understand this difference and understand four basic principles that helps them to be successful:

• All leaders have followers. They have ideas, vision, energy or information that draws other people to them. Without followers, we would not have leaders.
• Effective leaders may not be someone who is loved or admired. Instead, they have followers who do the right things or support the leaders vision or the big picture because it is the right thing to do. Leadership is not a popularity contest. Results are what followers and other leaders look for from an effective leader.
• Leaders are highly visible and observed by their followers. Therefore, it is important that they set examples and not only "talk the talk" but walk it, and live it, as well.
• Leadership has nothing to do with rank, privilege, title or money. Instead, it is about responsibility and mentoring others.

If you have the opportunity to serve others as a leader, how do you "stack up?" Who are your followers and do they do the right thing? Are you setting the right example? Do your followers get the maximum results and outcomes from your leadership? Do people resist your leadership or do they willingly follow?

Spend some time studying your leadership opportunities and how others perceive your role? Make adjustments where needed in order to become not "just a leader," but, instead, become a GREAT leader!

Source: http://LeadershipSecrets.blogspot.com

Copyright M. A. Webb, 2004-2006. All Rights Reserved

PUBLISHING AND REPRINT RIGHTS: You have permission to publish this article electronically, in print, in your ebook or on your website, free of charge, as long as the author's information and web link are included at the bottom of the article and the article is not changed, modified or altered in any way. The web link should be active when the article is reprinted on a web site or in an email. Please forward a courtesy email to the author including an active web link where it is posted.

Harnessing the Power of a Great Leader

It takes a lot of hard work, patience and perseverance to be a great leader, but it can be done! There are three principles that you should be aware of as you hone your leadership skills:

YOU MUST HARNESS THE POWER OF THE WILL. It is almost impossible to harness the power of an individual’s will once it becomes fixed. A leader must understand the huge implications of this process. It is important that the leader understands the people they are leading and that they are influenced a great deal of time by loud and repetitive messages sent by the competition or negative thoughts and influences. An individual’s will is somewhat like a ship’s rudder. It guides us through the calm waters and steers us in the right direction in choppy seas. If the will is not fixed on the positive mission of the leader and their company, they may not make it through difficult times. Remember, the will is not really the problem, it is the positive or negative forces with the values we attach to it that guides us.

“VECTOR” SUM OF FOCUS. This concept, presented by Spencer Tillman (http://www.lifeatwork.com/) comes in a simple acronym and can be used by leaders to evaluate their activities and to guide where their focus should be:

V – values that must be in place
E – energy that comes from passion about our purpose
C – courage that is on hand to move forward, despite our fears
T – talent that separates us from the “average” or “ordinary” leader
O – organizational ability that prevents chaos from entering the process
R – resources that must exist in order to sustain an individual’s passion

CREATIVITY AND DESTRUCTION. This principle teaches the leader that creativity and destruction helps to develop patience by showing that processes always take longer to make than to destroy them.

This three principles will help to guide the leader through almost any activity or event they are faced with. It is important that the leader understand the principles and then apply them to situations with which they are faced. Once the leader can capture an individual’s will power and then focus the will on the values, energy, resources and abilities required to move the company forward, the leader can promote the creativity and energy needed to ultimately achieve success.

Source: http://LeadershipSecrets.blogspot.com

Copyright M. A. Webb, 2004-2006. All Rights Reserved

PUBLISHING AND REPRINT RIGHTS: You have permission to publish this article electronically, in print, in your ebook or on your website, free of charge, as long as the author's information and web link are included at the bottom of the article and the article is not changed, modified or altered in any way. The web link should be active when the article is reprinted on a web site or in an email. Please forward a courtesy email to the author including an active web link where it is posted.