I’ve waited long to write this blog. I asked myself two questions: “Why another article or blog about leadership?” Is there something to add to what have been already researched, said and written?
There are so many good articles, blogs, research, books etc on the many aspects of leadership. A lot has been written about the definitions of leadership, leadership theories, types of leadership, the purpose of leadership, leadership skills and styles, characteristics of a good leader, the do’s and don’ts, leadership frameworks etc.
Why do I want to write something on leadership? Well, I’m a leader myself and is coaching and mentoring leaders as part of my profession. I’ve learnt a lot over the years through reading, training, making mistakes, being guided by other leaders and from coaching and mentoring leaders myself. In a way my writing is more for myself at this stage. I want to go into conversation on leadership with myself and others. This is not so much to develop something new, but to tap into knowledge, experience and stories to be refreshed, restored and refocused as a leader, coach and mentor.
In this first blog on leadership I will go into conversation with myself on leadership and will start with three perspectives on leadership from my own learnings and experiences. The three perspectives are leadership as influence, leadership as “being” and leadership as practice.
Leadership as influence
As long as people live, work, play and do life together leadership will come into play. In any given situation somebody or two or more together (team?) will take the lead in that situation. Sometimes it’s formal or positional and other times informal as result of some sort of natural selection.
This brings me to the definition of leadership that I love to work with. It is a definition I’ve learned from Ford Taylor in the Transformational Leadership Training
“If you have influence over somebody, you are a leader”.
What I love about this perspective on leadership is the acknowledgement that leadership is about influence on people and the situation they’re in together through their relationships and transactions.
Leadership is something dynamic that transcends all the theories, definitions, ideas, styles and frameworks etc on leadership. It is something practised day by day in our interactions with one another. This brings me to the second reason or perspective on leadership why I decided to have conversations on leadership.
Leadership as “being”
I’m intrigued by how people integrate their life and how people interact with one another. How do we as human beings work and live together? There is a saying “variety is the spice of life”. The question is how does this “variety of beings” live together and work together. What does it take to be the leader of this unique “variety” in this unique space?
Many times we read or hear stories about leaders whose personal lives are just falling apart. Many times they are successful in their career and in business but there are other areas of their lives that fall apart. This plays out in broken relationships, addictions, burnout etc. because there is a difference in who the leader is (“being”) what the leader do and how the leader operates (“doing”). Many times the leader and the “human-being” is not the same person and there are big gaps between the different areas of the leader’s life.
What specifically intrigues me about leadership and leadership dynamics is how the leader as a person, as a “human-being”, operates within a given situation. I’ve learnt a few lessons over the years in “being” a leader myself and also from other leaders who’ve made a big impact on my “being”. I just want to mention three important lessons I’ve learnt which helped me in “being” a leader and to turn it into habits.
- Lesson one is to continually explore, discover, align and integrate my unique human design, purpose, focus, values in who I am, the choices I make, and the way I go about doing it.
- Lesson two is to co-create situational and relational awareness and focus with the people I’ve worked and journey with. It is not about me, but about the way we co-exist.
- Lesson three is to develop support systems and structures to keep me accountable in who I am, the choices I make, and the way I go about doing it.
This brings me to the third reason why I want to have conversations on leadership.
Leadership as practice
Over the years I was exposed to, and worked with many leaders which made a big impact on my own formation, understanding and practicing of leadership. I am still learning as a leader who is practising leadership on a day to day basis in different settings. But I’m also learning from other leaders whom I have the privilege to connect with through coaching and mentoring.
I’ve learnt that leadership is not something I have or own, or a position I fulfil, or something become in the first place. Leadership is that action when you interact with people in a certain space at a certain moment in time through relationships and transactions. This is where the practice of influencing and “being” can be turned into moment of desired transformation in relationships and transactions.
I’ve learnt that transformational leadership as a practice means
- To guide the people I have influence over, to define the transformation and the outcomes thereof we want to bring about.
- To identify and integrate the skill sets and tools to bring about the desired transformation.
- To clarify roles and responsibilities.
- To plan strategies, design action plans and evaluate the outcomes.
- To empower and launch people into action.
- To celebrate milestones and successes.
Leadership is a “dangerous space” to tred. There are so many chances for misuse of power and position, so many chances for failure and critique, but also at the same time to bring clarity, direction, hope and focus. As long as a leader remembers “It is not about me”, but I can be myself, I can influence people in relationships and transactions, and I can bring about positive transformation it becomes easier to navigate this “dangerous space”.