What do you think of when you hear the word “leader”?
The word leader itself is like the word car or food. Cars can be big or small, fast or slow, expensive or affordable, and they can be status symbols or basic transportation. They come in colors you like and colors you don’t care for. Food can be hot or cold, nutritious or junk food. You like some foods, you don’t like others. You love peanut butter, you hate peanut butter or you don’t care.
The word leader is the same. There are good, bad, tall, short, rich, poor, smart, and not so smart leaders. There are leaders you believe in, ones you don’t believe in, and one’s you just don’t care about. There are leaders who lead by Inspiration and one’s who lead by Intimidation.
You see leader, car and food are all just words. The definition of the word leader is:
- One that leads or guides
- One who is in charge or in command of others
- One who heads an organization
- One who has influence or power
Most people, but not all, would agree that these are examples of bad leaders
- Adolf Hitler
- Mao ZeDong
- Joseph Stalin
- Vlad the Impaler (Don’t know about Vlad? Click here for more info on him and other bad leaders.)
Most people, but not all, would agree that these are examples of good leaders
- Gandhi
- Vince Lombardi
- Steve Jobs
- Nelson Mandela
- Golda Meir
- Martin Luther King Jr.
- Winston Churchill
- Eleanor Roosevelt
- And my personal fav, James T. Kirk! (Really? Click here to learn more about James T. Kirk and other good leaders.)
How do you decide, for yourself, which leaders are good or bad? Which leaders are worth following? Here are some suggestions:
- Have a backbone and a spine!
- Use your brain and your intelligence
- Make your own decisions
- Don’t ever follow someone because someone else does
- Don’t follow someone because somebody else says you should
- Evaluate the person, their ideals, and their mission. Does it match with yours?
- Do you believe what they believe?
- Do they inspire you to be better?
- Are you willing to openly and freely follow this person?
A boss by him or herself does not a leader make. A leader cannot be a leader unless there is someone following. If you don’t believe in what they stand for, don’t follow!
A leader should:
- Inspire you to deliver your best
- Help you dig deep within yourself to search for the truth
- Raise you up
- Teach you
- Guide you
- Encourage you
A leader should be focused on the people they are leading. A leader should be about making things better for the people who are following. A leader should be about guiding the followers through difficult times.
A leader does not focus on themselves. If he or she is playing the “how many people can I get to follow and worship me game,” then they are not leaders. If ego is involved, then it is about tributes and adorations, not leadership.
Leader is just a word. What will you do to make that word have significance and to have an important and positive meaning?
My questions to you are:
- What kind of leader do you want to follow?
- What kind of leader do you want to be?
Please post your comments below as I would like to know your answers!
I like the questions you posed. In my company we have ongoing discussions on Leadership. We not only discuss the two questions you asked, we take it further. Looking at your past week of work, would you say that your actions matched the actions of that leader that you are looking to be? What are the perceptions of those who work for you vs. how you see your self? Those answers can be quite revealing. As much as I want to be inspirational and encouraging, I find it important to stop and ask for feedback…….and insure that my actions will get the reults that I want to be known for.