A resolution is the only solution!
When leadership is in action, it is a beautiful sight to see. I wonder if the average person can appreciate or even notice the beauty of leadership in its art form—it’s like poetry in motion. People have for years asked the question if some people were made into leaders or are some people simply born to be leaders. Actually, this has been the age old question for a few thousand years. My answer is simple; every person is born with the potential to be leaders and every person can be developed into a leader. So the answer is both. However, the kind of leader a person becomes is predicated on the experiences and development that goes into their shaping.
What are the decisive factors used to classify someone as a leader and what are the standards used to suggest that a person is a good or bad leader? These are valid questions to consider, especially if one is going to confer the title of leader on themselves or others. Can a person be a leader who leads no one? Can a person be classified as a leader whose only responsibility is they themselves? The word leader suggests that a person is in a lead position over others.
Well, allow me to ask you to give me one word to describe what leadership is versus what a leader does? Go ahead; think about your possible answers…time is ticking. Generally, people are accustomed to using words such as courageous, brave, bold, decisive, fearless, articulate, intelligent, confident or shrewd to describe leadership or to point out if a person is a leader. However, I think one word is paramount over all the words previously mentioned, which I believe is a better fit of what a leader is or what is leadership. Influence! This is my one word to describe leadership. This world is inundated with leaders, but we have very little leadership.
What every leader needs to be aware of is they do not need to know all the dynamics of a person’s field of employment or expertise in order to give sound advice and custodial guidance. Some leaders such as CEOs, Presidents of Companies, Military Officers, etcetera… feel it is essential to understand the dynamics of the skills of their employees; from their managers or supervisors down to their assembly workers, so they can properly demonstrate how a specific job should be done. My friend, this would be considered borderline micro-management.
Percentage wise, followers or employees are not the least bit interested that their boss fully understands how to do the job they are assigned. In fact, employees knowing their boss knows their job may alienate and/or intimidate them. Despite the titles of employees, from Payroll Clerks to Chief Operations Officers, people want to believe that their skills are appreciated and properly compensated. They are not impressed with the owner knowing their job; they are already impressed that he or she owns the company.
Leaders should understand that sacrifice is every bit of this calling, otherwise, all you will have is a desire to push people and not lead them. And, pushing from the rears will do nothing but create friction.
Whether in professional and amateur sports; from boardrooms to the White House; from the pentagon to family households and communities, leaders are found in every aspect of life. Leaders, managers, coaches and trainers eventually die and the systems they devised either improve, or become obsolete, as players become bigger, stronger, wiser, and more agile and employees develop labor shrewdness and become more technologically advanced. In spite of this, there is one leader or system that will never go out of style or become irrelevant, and it is the Power Leadership Style. The conferred title of Power Leader is similar in title to La Cosa Nostra, Capo di Tutti Capi: The Mafia boss of the strongest Family – highest of all mafia ranks, the boss of bosses. Other leaders can quickly recognize the intrinsic quality that clothes the power leader without him or her attempting to display their leadership prowess. This style of leadership stands at the pinnacle of all leadership styles because it incorporates all the various methods and techniques of effective leadership.
Power Leadership, opposed to leadership power or leadership in general, is a term I personally lay claim to because of all the different leadership styles that are defined, and that apparently addresses a specific area or genre; such as, the leader manager, the motivator leader, the delegate leader, the authoritative leader, etc. Therefore, Power Leadership is defined as a leader who can harmonize anywhere, at any time, address any issue, with any class of people because they understand there is one common thread among leaders and effective leadership; and that is understanding resolution.
A power leader deals with bringing together skills, personnel, resources, and requirements in order to bring solutions to specific or corporate agendas. These power leaders are good at recognizing strengths and weaknesses, convictions and preferences, and capabilities and inabilities of individuals. Power leaders do not have the perspective of being effective; they are effective leaders because they understand with wisdom their position of power to create or better enhance solutions to circumstances.
A person may not be a “power leader”, but a leader which he or she can be—and an effective leader at that. Vision is a necessity for leadership: trust is a requirement for followers; and teamwork is the result of cooperation. Make these elements work together and watch how synergy is created for any situation that confronts you. As a leader, you can have some of the qualities of the power leader, but not their level of intensity within those qualities.
A power leader can bring simplicity to the most complex dilemmas or questions. These people can be unassuming and not immediately obvious. Still, a presence about them and their clarity about issues and life, give an almost unfathomable impression. When you are in their presence, you can feel completely comfortable, but you can never be disrespectful. Their depth of knowledge and wisdom far surpass their practical knowledge of people’s skills, training, mental framework, issues, troubles, etc. There is no other way to put it; they absolutely comprehend how life works. They understand the business of life and the life of business. This may sound odd to you, but it makes a lot of sense to me.
Recommended Reading:
I frequently say, “Readers are leaders and leaders are readers.” I strongly believe this statement; therefore, I have taken the time to recommend reading material that I believe will greatly benefit your life and business endeavors. Click the images to see more information or to order the books from Amazon.com.
Come let’s talk some more about this, commet your thoughts below.
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