The Key to Leadership
The concept of leadership is a little bit different for everyone. One person’s idea of a perfect leader may be the complete opposite of another’s. Leadership takes on many different forms. Some leaders are extremely outspoken and authoritative, while others are very quiet and contemplative. I recently read a blog post by Erika Andersen, called “New To Leadership? If You Only Do One Thing, Do This.” (http://www.forbes.com/sites/erikaandersen/2012/09/29/new-to-leadership-if-you-only-do-one-thing-do-this/) This blog focuses on the importance of the less authoritative leader. She cites Glen Llopis’s four recommendations for a young leader, that all revolve around permeability. These four recommendations are: 1) Be an active listener and learner 2) Get to know those you are leading on a personal level 3) Embrace differences 4) Earn respect by being less authoritative.
Both Andersen and Llopis argue that leadership has nothing to do with our culture’s idea of power, overconfidence, and authority and everything to do with the ability to adapt, listen, connect, and respect. A leader cannot truly be trusted unless he or she embodies Llopis’s four recommendations. Erika Andersen states that a leader must be able to recognize an initial belief, question it, gather new data, and then revise one’s initial belief. If leadership has little to do with inherent abilities and more to do with the ability to interact and listen, then anyone has the ability to be a leader!
What do you think? Are leaders born leaders or is there an important skill set that must be acquired overtime? What do you think are the most important qualities of a leader?
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