· “To aspire to leadership is an honorable ambition” (1
Timothy 3:1, NEB).
· Leadership is working with and through
others to achieve objectives (Goldsmith, 2008). Through the years, leadership
has been defined and conceptualized in many ways. The component common to
nearly all classifications s that leadership is an influence process that
assists groups of individuals toward goal attainment . . . to achieve a common
goal (Northouse, 2007, 12). The goal of
individual leadership is influencing people. The goal of organizational
leadership is getting extraordinary things done in organizations through
influencing and mobilizing others. (Kouzes and Posner, 2007, xi).
· “Related to leadership is the concept
of power, the potential to influence (Northouse, 2007, 13).
· “Great leaders are made, not born. Can people who are already working to influence others
become more effective leaders? The answer is an unqualified ‘Yes.’”(Goldsmith,
2008). “Leadership development is
self-development” (Kouzes and Posner, 2007, xvii).
·
Inspire
others. “Great leaders move us. The ignite our passion and inspire the best in
us. When we try to explain why they are so effective, we speak of strategy,
vision, or powerful ideas. But the reality is much more primal: Great
leadership works through the emotions. This emotional task of the leader is
primal – that is, first – in two senses: It is both original and the most
important act of leadership (Goleman, 2002, p. 5).
·
“People
first, then strategy” (Goleman, 2002, p. 220-221). “Turn the vision into
action. At every opportunity, leaders need to demonstrate what the vision looks
like, what it feels like, and how people can live it today as well as in the
future. They lead through coaching, vision, democracy, and respect for people
around them. And they call on others to live up to their own values and the
mission of the organization” (Goleman, 2002, p. 221).
·
Be
the example. This is leadership. “It’s about putting your money where your
mouth is. It’s about practicing what you preach. It’s about following through
on commitments. It’s about keeping promises. It’s about walking the talk. It’s
about keeping promises. It’s about walking the talk. It’s about doing what you
say” (Kouzes and Posner, 2007, 75).
·
“Look, you
either believe that developing leaders is important or you don’t. There are so
many variables that could be used to either make or break your argument for
leadership development. We’re not going to play that game. We firmly believe
it’s important to grow leaders who can run their businesses, their functions,
and their regions, yet who can lead with an enterprisewide perspective. People
make this business happen, and we will let our performance speak for the
importance of developing leaders” (Ready, 2004, p. 6).
·
Invest
in others. Create a climate of trust. Facilitate relationships Enhance self
determination. Develop competence and confidence. Foster accountability. Coach.
(Kouzes and Posner, 257).
· “If you want to be great, you must be
the servant of all the others. And if you want to be first, you must be
everyone's slave” (Mark 10:43-44 NIV).
References
Goleman, Daniel. (2002). Primal
Leadership. Boston, MA: Harvard Business School Press.
Goldsmith, Marshall (2008, January 14).
Ask the Coach: Great Leaders are Made not Born. Harvard Business Review. Retrieved
April 21, 2009 from http://blogs.harvardbusiness.org/goldsmith/2008/01/great_leaders_are_made_not_bor.html.
Kouzes, J. & Posner, B. (2007). The
Leadership Challenge (4th ed.). San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.
Northouse, Peter. (2006). Leadership:
Theory and Practice (4th ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.
Ready, Douglas. (2004, December). How to Grow Great Leaders. Harvard
Business Review. Retrieved April 21, 2009 from http://hbr.harvardbusiness.org/2004/12/how-to-grow-great-leaders/ar/1.
