What is Leadership?
A person in the formal role of a leader may not possess leadership skills nor be capable of leading. Leadership is essentially related to a person's skills, abilities and degree of influence.
A good deal of leadership can come from people who are not formal leaders. Leading is the result of using one's role and leadership ability to influence others in some way. True leaders are not "bosses" or "commanders". Instead of power, true leadership comes from influence, congruence and integrity.
Successful leaders are committed to "creating a world to which people want to belong". Successful leadership involves managing relationships and communicating within a team to move towards a specific goal. Leadership is the ability to: "express a vision, influence others to achieve results, encourage team cooperation, and be an example."
Strengthening your leadership ability can help you improve your capacity to achieve results and reach personal or organizational outcomes. Leadership is not the same thing as management. Management is "getting things done through others." Leadership is "getting others to want to do things." Leadership is intimately tied up with motivating and influencing others.
The Four Basic Actions of World-Class Leaders
Although leadership is a complex capability, successful leadership is linked to four core actions: stretching, empowering, sharing, and coaching. These four actions support and expand the core managerial competence of the leader.
Stretching is the ability to challenge a teams habits and to take risks. Stretching involves the capacity to create challenging situations, to compel, to push towards doing more, to go beyond. Stretching is necessary to promote change and achieve results.
Empowering is the ability to help others achieve their individual potential in order to obtain more effective organizational behavior. Empowering requires the capacity to facilitate conditions which allow people to express themselves better, recognizing the value of their work and stimulating personal and professional growth as well as self esteem. Empowering is necessary to achieve results and develop people.
Coaching is the ability to be a guide and a trainer. Coaching is based on the capacity to respect people, to listen attentively, willingly, and considerately. It requires the recognition of individual potential and taking responsibility for the development of these competencies as assets in order to harvest underutilized potential. Coaching is essential in order to develop people and realize values.
Sharing is the ability to exchange information and know-how. Sharing involves the capacity to involve people with respect to objectives, including them in meetings in which ideas and information are exchanged, in order to achieve true collaboration, and permitting easy access to resources and acknowledging that they are to be enjoyed by all. Sharing is required for realizing values and promoting change.
The Four Actions of World-Class Leaders diagram and description is used here with permission from Isvor-Dilts Leadership Systems. © 2003 Isvor-Dilts. All rights reserved.
Posted by Michael Bean
November 1st, 2007 at 12:27 pm
i realy like this deffinition about leadership thanks it explained it in a very good and easy way i looked at other deffinition but yours standed out better because of the way you sayed it by explaining it in not alot but in a simple way.
thanks
November 30th, 2007 at 11:46 am
Thank you. This helped me very much with my homework.
January 22nd, 2008 at 8:31 pm
This definition make me think in broader way of leadership. Leaders are born but managers are made... really appreciate this definition as it helps me a lot.
February 14th, 2008 at 11:26 pm
The definition you hav egiven here as leadership is quite realistic. Now in this 21st century one can not expected to be autocratic leader. Where as while talking about business organisation good leader always think about how to make good coordination with its staffs with the help of motivational ability so thta can give him to achiev sustainable competetive advantage.
February 14th, 2008 at 11:39 pm
The definition you have given here as leadership is quite realistic. Now in this 21st century one can not expected to be autocratic leader. Where as while talking about business organisation good leader always think about how to make good coordination with its staffs with the help of motivational ability so that can give him to achiev sustainable competetive advantage.
February 28th, 2008 at 5:21 am
The definition you give is very fantastic and understandable! but need in deep language in case the other who are not english may understand, you made it very simple for everyperson like me I enjoy it and like to be leaader in this case!!
Regards
Samuel Kuyee
March 9th, 2008 at 10:09 am
Influence is the trick. How do you improve your ability to influence?
March 13th, 2008 at 8:08 am
thank you the leadership of one individual can influence many but you have to know that its more than just bossing around it needs meaning and a goal to succeed corectly.
March 15th, 2008 at 12:22 pm
You described leadership vividly. I think your not born with leadership but you can grow from good role models around you such as your dad, mom, and even your friends. Like the author of this article said, leaders are people that motivate others and are a good influence on others. Now I really know the true meaning of Leadership.
March 25th, 2008 at 4:11 pm
Great information, I found it useful for myself. These four concentrations would develop a great leader.
May 1st, 2008 at 9:54 pm
i like the definition. it inspired me about my leadership paper. Thanks!