by Wayne Ottum
“You manage things; you lead people.”
Rear Admiral Grace Murray Hopper
“Leadership is the art of getting someone else to do something you want done because he wants to do it.”
General Dwight Eisenhower
“The most dangerous leadership myth is that leaders are born-that there is a genetic factor to leadership.
That’s nonsense; in fact, the opposite is true. Leaders are made rather than born.
Leadership. There are plenty of great quotes about it, but what does it really mean? To begin any discussion of leadership, the best place to start is with a definition. You know when you are in the presence of a great leader and when you’re not, but most of us struggle to define the term. Of course, the desire to “define” leadership is so that we can “become” a better leader. We think, perhaps rightly, that if it is definable, it can be replicated.
The following definition can be found in the dictionary…
- the position or function of a leader, a person who guides or directs a group: Synonyms: administration, management, directorship, control, governorship, stewardship, hegemony.
- ability to lead: Synonyms: authoritativeness, influence, command, effectiveness; sway, clout.
- an act or instance of leading; guidance; direction:
- the leaders of a group:
Ah…, not very helpful when you’re trying to figure out HOW to lead, is it? Reading through The 100 Best Quotes on Leadership, you will find dozens of different “definitions” from a wide variety of authors. But how do you take that and discover your own leadership style, through trial and error? Not the best approach.