Leadership and INFLUENCE

Leadership begins when Words = Actions

It may seem like such a simple statement, but when a person is true to their word they become so much more influential and isn’t that what leadership is? So, you can narrow down leadership to the core as being someone who is consistently believable, credible, and trustworthy. That makes a person a leader through influence. Meaning they lead by example. But, leaders that take charge and inspire others to do more have other characteristics as well. They also make others feel capable and trusted. They also don’t need to tell people what to do and how to do it. They inspire people to get things done based on a shared mission, values, and principles. Then they provide the tools, techniques, and certain enablers to get these things done. They also mentor people and help make these individuals be the best individuals they can be (meaning they don’t try to clone the way they do things and their own techniques in someone else, instead they empower others to use their own methods to be their best selves).

So, why do I bring this up. In considering my next big step in where I want to contribute in my workplace, LEADERSHIP is where I am being called. I am constantly being reminded of the importance of influence and leadership at all levels. I read a book a long time ago that was life changing and will share it now as I often do. John C. Maxwell’s - 360 Degree Leadership – was one of the most important books I have read and taken to heart in my career. Remember this word – entelechy. One definition of entelechy is the quest to fully understand or “that which turns potential into reality.” When I read 360 Degree Leadership I really wanted to apply this word because of the power of the concepts of 360 Degree Leadership. In its simplest form, it means leading in every direction. To do this, you must lead yourself first. This is something I struggle with every day. We all make mistakes, so, self-leading is always a challenge. The concept is then to lead in all directions. This means INFLUENCE not leadership through position or power.

Let’s focus on the word INFLUENCE:

INFLUENCE = Integrity, which we already stated is when your words and your actions are consistently the same and you are believable, credible, and trustworthy. Nurturing is when you genuinely care for the wellbeing of those around you. This is not about just a performance impact care factor, but a genuine quality of life and desire to develop people (as leaders we are stewards of other people’s careers). Faith is about believing in people and as discussed earlier it is a leader’s ability to trust and empower people to do what needs to be done and having the faith in them to do it. This is KNOWING they can and will succeed. Listening is the art of VALUING what others have to say. There is a difference between hearing and listening. Listening is an action and requires a leader to do things based on what they hear and not just go through the motions of hearing. Understanding is the leader’s ability to see other points of view. A great leader surrounds themselves with people with skills, knowledge and experience beyond their own. The key to understanding is actively using those points of view to plot courses of action. Enlarging means that a leader can grow the others around them. A great leader may someday work for someone who once worked for them. Navigating is when a leader can guide others to be greater and mentor them rather than giving exact tasks and micromanaging. Connecting is the important aspect of leadership where relationships are built, and the leader focuses on being a positive force in the lives of those around them. Empowering is one of the most important aspects of leadership because it is when a leader can have the ability to make people feel valued. A leader can empower people and make them feel capable and trusted.

Lastly, I will leave you with the thought that no where here did I mention that leaders are charged with providing raises and bonuses. Sure, that is nice. A fair wage and compensation structure is important, but leadership is about inspiring people through INFLUENCE. Somewhere else in the management structure is a place for these matters. Leaders should inspire and influence and not worry about the management tasks. Management and leadership are equally important, managers take the tasks off the leader’s plate, so they can truly lead. Leaders should empower and trust them to do as such.

Happy INFLUENCING!