I read a great thought yesterday: Great leaders do not seek to create more followers; they seek to develop more leaders.
Several years ago I led a research project that studied executive team leadership within organizations. The experience was fascinating as I spent hundreds of hours observing and interviewing executives and their teams.
Throughout the project I sought to answer one burning question:
What is leadership?
To be honest, I continue to ask this question today. As it relates to my leadership. As I observe the success and failures of others. And as I consider the future.
For decades, researchers have profiled and debated the concept of leadership. Yet, today, we’re not much closer to a clear definition. In fact, few seem to agree on the components of leadership and how successful leadership is measured.
Much of the confusion stems from ambiguous terminology such as power, authority, management, and control. These and many other similar terms frequently appear in definitions of leadership. As a result, attempts to define or explain leadership have proven futile.
Here are a few of the numerous descriptions of leadership:
Leaders and followers interact as relational partners who assume complementary roles. – Hackman and Johnson
A shared process of leading and directing the efforts of others. While leaders exercise greater influence and accept more responsibility in the partnership, followers execute the plans and complete the work itself. – Sergiovanni
Any effort to influence the performance of an individual or group. – Hensley
The ability to determine what must be accomplished and then motivate others to want to do it. – Eisenscher
Creating vision, developing a strategy, enlivening followers to adopt the vision, and changing the culture of an organization. – Evans
An interpersonal relationship in which power and influence are unevenly distributed so that one person is able to direct and control the actions and behaviors of others to a greater extent than they direct and control his. – Fielder
The process by which the leader influences his followers to achieve group objectives. – Stogdill
A process whereby an individual influences a group of individuals to achieve a common goal. – Northouse
These are just a few of the many definitions. And while there are many, nearly everyone agrees that leadership involves influence over others.
Regardless, all descriptions of leadership appear to remain incomplete or inadequate.
Question: So, what do you think leadership is? How do you define leadership? Share your thoughts in the comments.
In the above, I feel Northouse had it wrong. That could also be the definition of a boss or supervisor, which is not necessarily a ‘leader’.
I believe a good leader is a good servant. Debbie @ ilovemylemonadelife.com
Serving is an important part of leadership. Thank Debbie!
Leadership means to create visions, to motivate positively a team to co-work and to accomplish a shared aim/goal.
Good thought Giulia.
To me leadership is the influence granted (often temporarily) to a leader by those who choose to follow. If there’s no choice to follow, the one in charge might rule, but he/she never leads.
I think servant leaders gain the hearts and minds of “followers” through their service and clear cut commitment to the good of the ones they lead.
Love it! Thanks my friend! Have a great week!
Michael, there is only one definition: a leader is person with followers.
Leadership teachers, sales people and advocates have thoroughly over-saturated and confused people who sincerely want to advance their careers. Yet, the path to success is so simple and easily found.
Creative Followership is what I practiced to become, and as a senior executive for decades. It worked for me. It will work for anyone at any level of responsibility in any organization.
Take a look at a better route to success and satisfaction. http://creativefollowership.com/
You will be glad that you did.
‘Jimmy Collins
Thanks Jimmy! I’ll check it out! Enjoy your week!
Michael, If you have not read the Steward Leader, I highly recommend it. I use it in class: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0830838783?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creativeASIN=0830838783&linkCode=xm2&tag=worblo01-20
That looks like a great book! Thanks for the recommendation.
“Leaders and followers interact as relational partners who assume complementary roles.” – Hackman and Johnson – That is what I am trying to teach my students in my MBA program at Charleston Southern University. -Dr. Darin Gerdes
Yes, that relational aspect of knowing how to build one another up and filling in where others need improvement is a needed trait in leadership.
One need only study the life of Christ to learn how to be a GREAT leader! Follow HIS example and you not only can not go wrong but your leadership will be remembered for thousands of years!
Following the example of a great servant leader is definitely valuable. Thanks!
Leadership is process of living by example, and others seeking guidance and wisdom from a person being one step ahead of their desires. Wisdom is knowing when to lead and when to seek guidance.
Great thoughts Joe.
In my opinion, a good leader is a servant who lifts him/her self and those they serve to their highest and best contribution consistent with their values and motivations and the values and objectives of the organization. I also like the definition by Joseph Rost, author of Leadership for the Twenty-First Century: “Leadership is a dynamic relationship based on mutual influence and common purpose between leaders and collaborators in which both are moved to higher levels of motivation and moral development as they affect real, intended change.”
Personally, I think the term “follower” is dis-empowering and insulting. I also agree that leadership is about encouraging a mindset of disrupting the status quo, as I stated in my book Chasing Change.
Mutual influence is a great addition…leaders and those that follow them can always learn from and impact one another!
I like how you mention moving to “higher levels of motivation and moral development as they affect real, intended change.” That strikes a chord within me as a truth/goal I work toward each day.
I strongly prefer the term “collaborators” both in being one and in interacting with them as a leader. It is a much more fruitful process when collaborators believe they are valued in their roles and contributions… I would almost use the word “contributors” interchangeably, but I see collaborators as more powerful in the process of affecting change.
My favorite is Dale Brubaker’s definition of leaders as “those who use their talents to help others use theirs”. It underlies the concept of my new book, Leader of Leaders: The Handbook for Principals on the Cultivation, Support, and Impact of Teacher-Leaders.
Hal Portner (hportner@comcast.net)
That’s a great definition! Thanks for sharing it, Hal. Your book sounds great!
Leading by example and sharing the knowledge for others to also grow and climb the ladder of success.
Good thoughts Kathy – Thanks for adding to the conversation!
Leadership is having good ideas and the ability to implement them. People will naturally for the person with good ideas.
It seems to me that when that when we talk of the essence of leadership as empowering other, there is there is inherent arrogance. Not intentional, but it is there. What about the person a leader might empower who might be better equipped to lead but is subordinate because of organizational structure? That person doesn’t need to be empowered. That person needs to person with the power to get out of the way. At that point, the leader is, or at least can be, an obstacle and not a leader.
People we think of as great leaders did not set out to be leaders. They had great ideas. And people followed them. It still works that way.
Great thought Steven – Leadership is great ideas. Great ideas that lead to change. At the core, leadership is change. If leaders are not leading change, what are they leading? Thanks for the reminder my friend!
I believe that a leader is to be a servant with followers. That’s the example that Christ left us. The times that He served, He used it as an opportunity to teach His disciples. He instructed them through His actions, not just His words.
We hear it said often that we cannot expect others to do what we are not willing to do ourselves. Unfortunately, we do not see that in many circles today. Whenever we read about the works of Christ and His earthly ministry, we almost always find His disciples nearby. They served together, they labored together, they slept around the same camp fires together. It wasn’t that Jesus said do this or that, while He stayed at the Temple and did His thing, He was in the streets with the disciples.
While a leader has great responsibilities than those he or she is leading, they should still lead from the trenches.
I agree Jamey – I recently wrote a related post – Great Leaders Serve (www.michaelnichols.org/great-leaders-serve). A great resource for servant leadership is Mark Miller’s blog – http://www.geatleadersserve.org.
Thanks for joining the conversation! Love hearing about how you guys are doing – you’ve got a great church and team.
I believe leadership can mean different things to different people. For me, leading means Following Christ.
Thanks my friend.
Good point David – empowering others. Thanks for sharing your thoughts.
To me, Leadership is empowering, developing, believing in others and helping them to be better than what they could be alone; but I remember that Christ taught us that leadership is serving. If I can serve others and then teach them how to teach and lead others, then I feel I have succeeded!
I agree Tim. I have focused primarily one on area of leadership development – growing. Recently, I have become more interested with serving. In the past, my “serving” consisted of doing things for others. Today, it has more to do with: where an individual is, where he/she wants/needs to go, and how can I serve in a way that helps and motivates them to get there. I truly believe that leadership is not about creating more followers. It has everything to do with developing more leaders.
Yes, the multiplication process!