Change for the Better
Leadership, leadership, leadership…
Let us return to a fundamental question of leadership.
There is an unending drone about this thing called ‘leadership’—in the media, in our conversations, splashed in organisational structures, trotted out in advertising and rhetoric.
Leadership and its primary derivative—leader—are words used like common swearwords.
They are applied with no sense of precision or understanding, as if people have an inadequately developed vocabulary. In the absence of understanding, anything and anyone is ‘leadership’ and ‘leader’.
Here are just a few examples:
- The business has a ‘leadership group’ (i.e., an executive group). BTW. A ‘group’ never exercises leadership, it is always a person. Mostly, what is meant is a ‘management group’, and management is NOT Leadership.
- The business / organisation CEO is the leader… (because they are the ‘heads’—no).
- The sports team captain is ‘the leader’ (because he / she is the captain—nonsense), and even they have a ‘leadership group’.
- The president is ‘the leader’ (because he / she is the president—nope).
- We even get to hear that ‘America (the USA) is the leader of the free world’ (this is so nonsensical that it is defies comment).
The fundamental reason ‘leadership’ and ‘leader’ tend to be anything and thus nothing in their legacy forms is that there is no clear notion of what the purpose of leadership is, and in the absence of purpose, something can be anything.
So, here is our return to fundamentals.
The PURPOSE of Influential Leadership is:
To influence and shape life events, conditions and circumstances for the betterment of people’s lives.
And, the subtext includes—wherever we live our lives—in our homes, schools, workspaces, communities, sports teams… countries.
It is not a title, a position or an office that turns on my leadership and that makes me a leader.
I might be the:
- country president,
- CEO,
- team captain,
- school principal,
- loudest mouth,
- wealthiest,
- most senior…
but if my behaviours and actions do not translate into changing things for the betterment of people’s lived lives, specifically and in general, then I can be called anything, but I am not practicing leadership and I am not a leader.
So, how does this touch you and me?
- When you choose to be an Influential Leader, the purpose of your leadership must be to change things for the better. And, the outcomes you achieve must be consistent with the purpose—the two ends are tied together—purpose and (actual) outcome.
- Stop giving space to people and usage that misappropriates leadership—help them right; challenge them – ask them what they think the purpose of leadership is, help them to think it through. We influence the world by thinking anew and using language that is precise and correct.
Be a Leadership activist, one word at a time, one person at a time…
Regards,
Colin @ Karoo
We Activate Leadership!
Leadership Weekly Note: 3624.020924
e: colind@karoo.world
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