Basic leadership (3)

We have been looking at some basic things about leadership. Last time we looked at the fact that the leader is an influential person. He needs to have tremendous influence over the people he leads. Divorce influence from leadership and all that will be left is an empty shell. Position, status and power do not always translate to leadership influence.

Influence is impossible and at best fragile without trust.

“If a person is not trusted there is a firm limit on their ability to create and use influence. People will rarely make a leap of faith for someone who hasn’t earned their trust. However most people will gladly take a blind leap of faith for someone whom they have come to trust. Trust matters. Influence is built upon making others successful: This is often times referred to as the law of reciprocity. The theory is that if you invest yourself in making someone else successful, then they in turn will likely be predisposed to helping you become successful. While this principle will not always pan out, in my experience it has held true across the overwhelming majority of my interactions through the years. True influence is rarely built upon the backs of others, but rather by helping others achieve their goals.” Mike Myatt

The leader’s job is to ensure that the efforts and activities of his followers are proper and properly channeled to achieve what he outlines as the goals to be accomplished.

Influencing people’s beliefs and actions can be achieved in a positive or in a negative way. The leader can intimidate his followers to do what he wants them to but this style will not last. The leader can also bully and cower his followers but he will be tagged a despot and people do not find it easy to stay under such leader – they will either rebel or quit at the slightest opportunity.

“Bully leadership is sharp, authoritative, angry, and feels uncomfortable to those in contact with it. Bully leaders believe that they are rallying the troops, getting everyone on board. But that is not what happens. The bully leader barks out orders, threatens consequences and uses strong, harsh statements to motivate people to do what the leader wants. The motivation that results is limited. And that is what the “Bully Leader” doesn’t realize. Bully Leaders are scary for people so they do what they need to do but there is a sacrifice. The sacrifice occurs in the work performed. People do what needs to be done and that is all. They don’t go above and beyond. They don’t share their knowledge and ideas with the leader.” Donna Price

The best way for a leader to exercise influence and have enduring results is to get things done based on trust.

The whole essence of leadership influence is the achievement of both corporate and individual goals and this will demand the utilization of certain resources. The leader must be able to affect his follower’s beliefs and actions in a way that the followers are willing, able and ready to use their resources not only for their individual fulfillment and progress but also to facilitate the realization of the corporate goal.

A leader who cannot harness the resources of the followers to get things done is bound to wind up in frustration. The resources a leader can harness form the followers are varied and they include skills, talents, aptitude, experience etc.

The bottom line of effective leadership is the leader’s ability to influence to get the right results.

Concluded

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