Our community's concept of being a leader may be associated with individuals in positions of power.
The reality is that those people may have a very limited scope of leadership; it may be based primarily or entirely on position rather than influence.
The ability to have influence is rooted in relationship. Leadership is a relationship of influence in which followership is gained and goals are met. Understood this way, even a person who influences a single person is a leader. It is a truism that to some extent, everyone is a leader.
Good leaders cultivate the culture of a community or organization. It turns out that the culture speaks more loudly than the leader.
The leader is in a sense an environmental engineer, reinforcing values, providing symbols and artifacts that visualise those values, and seeing that the fundamental assumptions and beliefs of the business or organisation are right and reflected in its culture.
Many in management mistakenly assume that leadership style is always a function of personality rather than a strategic choice. Their leadership style is based upon their innate signature talents and this represents their default leadership behaviour. However, leaders can choose a different leadership style that best addresses the demands of a particular situation.
Being unaware that we can change our leadership style to match the situation at hand, we unconsciously engage our default behaviour. Only when we become aware of something, are we able to make choices as to the action we wish to take.
Good leaders make followers into leaders. But not all leaders are entrepreneurial leaders. Entrepreneurial leaders not only influence people and structures so that new products and services are created and delivered, but they integrate innovation and implementation.
An entrepreneurial leader is an influencer of positive change.
Business Tips
Relationships of Influence
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- Parent Category: Business Tips
- Category: Leadership
