Leadership

Leadership is a decision, not a position

Leaders provide an inspiring focus that attracts followers. We call this the attraction principle. Think of Gandhi, Kennedy, Mandela, as examples of leaders who attracted a great following. The same can be observed in the business world. Business leaders such as Disney, Walton, and Welch all knew what it was they wanted to create. They had big ideas whose time had come. When they attracted followers, they did so because they offered meaning and hope. And they believed in what they were attempting to achieve, implicitly and unquestionably.

Ð'* For example, Sam Walton in the early days of Wal-Mart knew that he wanted to create an organization that would be the #1 discounter in small town America

Ð'* Jack Welch set his sights firmly on GE being the #1 or #2 in each business sector that they operated in.

Ð'* Walt Disney just wanted to 'make people happy'.

Three characteristics in particular are evident with these stated aims. They are:

Ð'* Simple

Ð'* Challenging

Ð'* A meaningful end result

These leaders avoided being too precise, because they wanted to give themselves, and their followers, lots of room for innovation and creativity, lots of 'elbow room'. Yet their focus was clear. They demonstrated that you could have a clear focus without being too specific or directive.

They also knew that followers needed to be leaders also, because each of them would need to attract other followers, in fact making the whole thing 'viral'.

WHY ARE LEADERS IMPORTANT?

Leaders Manage Through Times of Change

They determine direction.

They move organizations from where they are to where they need to be.

Leaders Make Things Happen

They shape the culture.

They use the management tools.

Leaders are Revolutionaries

They face reality and mobilize appropriate resources.

They encourage others to do the same

Leading vs. Managing -- They're Two Different Animals

Are you a manager or a leader? Although you may hear these two terms thrown out interchangeably, they are in fact two very different animals complete with different personalities and worldviews. By learning whether you are more of a leader or more of a manager, you will gain the insight and self-confidence that comes with knowing more about yourself. The result is greater impact and effectiveness when dealing with others and running your business.

We are going to take a look at the different personality styles of managers versus leaders, the attitudes each have toward goals, their basic conceptions of what work entails, their relationships with others, and their sense of self (or self-identity) and how it develops. Leaders to reach their full potential.

First of all, let's take a look at the difference in personality styles between a manager and a leader.

Managers - emphasize rationality and control; are problem-solvers (focusing on goals, resources, organization structures, or people); often ask question, "What problems have to be solved, and what are the best ways to achieve results so that people will continue to contribute to this organization?" are persistent, tough-minded, hard working, intelligent, analytical, tolerant and have goodwill toward others.

Leaders - are perceived as brilliant, but sometimes lonely; achieve control of themselves before they try to control others; can visualize a purpose and generate value in work; are imaginative, passionate, non-conforming risk-takers.

Managers and leaders have very different attitudes toward goals.

Managers - adopt impersonal, almost passive, attitudes toward goals; decide upon goals based on necessity instead of desire and are therefore deeply tied to their organization's culture; tend to be reactive since they focus on current information.

Leaders - tend to be active since they envision and promote their ideas instead of reacting to current situations; shape ideas instead of responding to them; have a personal orientation toward goals; provide a vision that alters the way people think about what is desirable, possible, and necessary.

Now let's look at managers' and leaders' conceptions of work.

Managers - view work as an enabling process; establish strategies and makes decisions by combining people and ideas; continually coordinate and balance opposing views; are good at reaching compromises and act as a go-between conflicts between opposing values and perspectives; act to limit choice; tolerate practical, mundane work because of strong survival instinct which makes them reluctant to take risk.

Leaders - develop new approaches to long-standing problems and open issues to new options; first, use their vision to excite people and only then develop choices which give those images substance; focus people on shared ideals and raise their expectations; work from high-risk positions because of strong dislike of mundane work.

Managers and leaders have very different relations with others.

Managers - prefer working with others; report that solitary activity makes them anxious; are collaborative; maintain a low level of emotional involvement in relationships; attempt to reconcile differences, seek compromises, and establish a balance of power; relate to people according to the role they play in a sequence of events or in a decision-making process; focus on how things get done; maintain controlled, rational, and equitable structures; may be viewed by others as inscrutable, detached, and manipulative.

Leaders - maintain inner perceptiveness that they can use in their relationships with others; relate to people in intuitive, empathetic way; focus on what events and decisions mean to participants; attract strong feelings of identity and difference or of love and hate; create systems where human relations may be confused, intense, and at times even disorganized.

The Self-Identity of managers versus leaders is strongly influenced by their past.

Managers - report that