Think of the leaders you follow…
Are those leaders positional or being leaders? Positional leaders are those that lead from a base of power directly connected to their position (CEO, manager, director, etc.). Being leaders may have titles, but their primary base is being. They lead from a perspective of who they are, not what they are. Webster’s definition of being is; "the totality of existing things." By far Being leadership is the most powerful form of leadership. Consequently, being leadership can be used for evil (see Adolf Hitler, Pol Pot, and the list goes on), but for good (see Mother Theresa, Billy Graham, MLK, Jr., Winston Churchill) as well.
Most Being leaders have a deep vision of the future and they have followers who may not know (consciously) why they follow…but they do. The followers have been affected by the Being leader in a way that is very personal. The Being leader, in word or action, let the follower(s) know that they mattered…something small that’s very big. The Being leader changes the world on varying scales. The world was different before they came on the scene.
If people are following you only because you have the position/title, then you need to do some soul searching. Yes, you may make your organization’s quarterly numbers look better, but long-term you will have achieved nothing great. People want to be a part of something great (just ask a fan of the Ohio State Buckeyes and you’ll see what I mean). And people are how you get to greatness…monetarily and otherwise.
Ask yourself the following questions:
- "If I didn’t have this position or title would these people still follow?"
- "If I didn’t have this position or title would these people be interested in my ideas?"
- "If I didn’t have the power to promote would these people make time for me?"
- "Are the people I lead changed because of who I am, not what I am?"
If you don’t like the answers to those questions e-mail me…I can help.