What is Leadership?

Leadership has been a popular topic of discussion down through the ages. There has been an ebb and flow of emphases—authoritarian vs. participative; task vs. relational and many more. Take your choice.

A recent graphic by Kavit Haria that caught my attention exemplifies two contemporary approaches to leadership. Haria suggests that many people tend to think that leadership is two things: giving orders and always having an answer. He then presents a broader understanding of what leadership actually is. Here are his suggestions:

Making people feel safe. Individuals contribute more to an organization when they feel that they are safe physically, intellectually, and professionally. If a person fears or dreads coming to work, something is wrong. A feeling of safety facilitates participation and personal investment.

Coaching. A good leader calls forth the best in others by helping them discover and apply their strengths and talents. In so doing, the leader discovers personal resources and abilities that will strengthen the organization. This, in turn, encourages . . .

Inspiring others to grow. No one wants to be in a dead-end job, but when there are no opportunities to learn and develop, addressing new challenges, a person can become frustrated. A good leader is not threatened by growing, healthy team members.

Leading with compassion. When a person leads with compassion, there is a resonant relationship with team members. Compassion is not passive, but active, shown in the respect and attention shared with others. This comes from . . .

Listening with full attention. A good leader gives a team member the opportunity to fully express himself or herself and listens without a preconceived outcome in mind. This requires not only humility on the part of the leader but agility as well.

Knowing when to step back. People grow in their work when they have clear responsibility. Will they stumble and fail? Possibly, but a leader is not there to hold their hand but to process the results.

Holding accountable. Responsibility and accountability go together. A good leader “holds the reins lightly” but know when to pull back on them as well.

Being a leader of this type takes courage, clarity, confidence, and humility—courage to trust the team members, clarity of mission, confidence that people can grow, and humility to accept the leader’s potential failure as well as that of the team. For a good leader, nothing is predetermined but there is always possibility and potential.

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