Why is it that everyone wants to be called a ‘leader’? 

What is it about the concept of leadership that is so attractive, to so many?

What is wrong with the old fashioned idea of ‘management’?

I was visiting a client recently and we were discussing this very topic.  What was interesting was how ‘leadership’ had a tainted name in his organisation (too many ‘leadership’ programs that delivered nothing). 

The view of the senior executives was “leadership has to be earned and conferred, not endowed”.

On reflection, there is a lot of truth in this approach.  I can claim to be a ‘leader’, and yet I am truly only a leader if others are prepared to ‘follow’.  We can call someone ‘team leader’, but are they not just  ‘team manager’ until they have earned the mantle of ‘leader’ from those in the team?

On this basis, how do you become a ‘leader’?

For me, a great leader always has three attributes, along with many other unique characteristics. 

These big three are:

>Consistency:  People seek certainty.  In leadership, it is never possible to give those following you certainty of outcome.  Instead, you can give them certainty of values, standards, approach, style and vision.  This consistency is attractive to others, and they will be able to align themselves behind someone who creates consistency in these areas, even though the ‘outcomes’ are never certain.

>Authenticity:  People are exquisite detectors of social falseness.  If you put on a mask as a leader, followers will soon detect it.  Being true to who you are, including your strengths and your weaknesses, makes you more trustworthy (and boosts people’s certainty in you!) and allows others to decide if you are a leader that they would follow.

>Capability:  People seek capability to lead in the chosen area in the leaders that they follow.  Leadership has a process (of leadership) but also a content (understanding the context and the specific issues) component.  A great leader needs the capability of process – setting the mission, vision and values, upholding the standards and working with the people.  They also benefit by having capability of content – having enough knowledge to ask great questions, to know what works and what doesn’t, to know what to challenge and to have enough context understanding so that they can lead effectively in that environment.

Management, on the other hand, can be appointed.  It is the art of efficiently and effectively following established processes and is a valuable skill within an organisation.

Management can sometimes be more difficult than leadership, because there are more measurable KPIs in management than leadership.  There is clear process to follow and less ‘grey’.

So, are you a great manager, a great leader…or both?

If you want to find out how to elevate your management or leadership to even higher levels of performance, contact me to find out how.

Stay Resourceful,
Phil