When a leader has the right or authority to tell others what to do the leader has?

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There is a multitude of definitions of leadership. For example, some people argue that leaders are born, others that leadership can be taught, but to my mind, everyone can choose to practice leadership.

The difference between a manager and a leader

Management is about persuading people to do things they do not want to do, while leadership is about inspiring people to do things they never thought they could.

Credit: Steve Jobs

The job of managers is “to manage things.” They manage resources, facilities, and people.

They are good at managing projects and meeting deadlines. They follow the plan – the strategy – they get the job done.

Managers are appointed – by the Board or by more senior executives. You cannot make yourself a manager.

On the other hand, leaders look widely to the world for trends, opportunities, and risks and establish the plan – the strategy – the future direction of the organization.

There are two types of leaders: appointed leaders and natural leaders.

Appointed Leaders

First, there are designated leaders – senior managers appointed as leaders and whose job it is to lead the organization.

In most contexts, such as business books or articles, the word leader is used synonymously with top management.

These managers may or may not be good leaders, but it is their appointed job to lead.

Natural Leaders

Second, there are the natural leaders of the world – inside and outside of organizations.

Anyone who has a sphere of influence can be considered a leader.

Credit: Daniel Goleman

Anyone can lead; anyone can practice leadership. If you have influence and followers, then you are a leader.

No one gives you this form of leadership – it does not come through appointment; it comes from your influence.

Everyone has influence. For some people, their circle of influence is small; for others, it is substantial.

A blogger with a broad readership has a large circle of influence and is thus a thought leader.

And in an organization, experts in their field are leaders within their domain.

Leadership is a choice. You can choose to influence people positively, or you can opt to keep quiet and choose to minimize your influence, but you can never not influence.

Influencing people is a form of doing things to them. A good leader is both an influencer and is ready to be influenced.

Most people think of leadership as a position and therefore don’t see themselves as leaders.

Credit:  Stephen Covey

Anyone can become a more influential leader by speaking up, engaging in conversation, forging healthy relationships, and listening more. This is the essence of Conversational Leadership.

So when I talk about leadership and management, when I refer to the appointed leaders in an organization, I call them senior management, sometimes top management, or occasionally appointed leaders. Never, just leaders.

This distinction leaves me free to use the word leader for anyone who practices leadership regardless of their position or authoritative power.

Leadership is a practice not a position of authority | Ronald Heifetz (source)

You will find the transcript of the last minute or so of  Ronald Heifetz‘s talk below. The highlighting is mine and draws attention to what I consider to be the key points.

Ronald’s views on leadership as a practice fit perfectly with the concept of Conversational Leadership. We are all practice conversational leadership.

Transcript

Distinguishing leadership from authority helps us begin to see that if we understand leadership as a practice, as an activity, then it becomes available to anybody high or low, any place or position, simply because they passionately care about some problem situation, about the people in that problem situation and then mobilize people with faith in their capacity to step up to the plate and meet that challenge.

Good Leaders

Was Adolf Hitler a good leader?

In exploring leadership, an interesting question to ask is, “Could Adolf Hitler be considered a leader?” Given his track record, many people would say he was not a leader. But he had a clear vision, was an influential orator, and in the 1930s created the largest German political party, conquered most of Europe during the Second World War, and slaughtered millions of people during his brutal 12-year Third Reich.

There is no question that he was a charismatic leader.

But the question remains, was he a good leader?

In this context, good has several meanings. It can mean successful or moral or skilled regarding the “way it is done.” Let’s look at each in turn:

Was he a successful leader regarding what he got done?

In his early years, it could be argued that he was a capable leader who got a broken people back on their feet after the humiliation of the Versailles treaty.

But he was not a good strategist and led his country into a ruinous war that he ultimately lost.

In this sense of good, he was a disastrous leader.

Was he a good leader in the way he got things done?

Hitler was not a very social person and could not build intimate relationships with people or make friends.

He was an ego-driven autocrat. He did not trust or listen to others.

He was not a particularly good leader in this respect.

Was he a moral leader?

Hitler was responsible for the murder of millions of Jews and many other atrocities.

He clearly lacked respectable values or morals.

In this sense of good, he was a corrupt leader

So the bottom line.

Was Hitler a leader? Yes. Was he a good leader? No.

We all have to lead at different times, we all have to contribute and find our voices and find what’s meaningful.

I think this world is in trouble in a lot of ways and we need smart people everywhere … we just need everyone engaged.

Credit: Eileen Fisher

Leadership is a practice, not a position of authority. Leadership is the ability to influence people. If you have influence and choose to use it, then you are a leader.

Resources

• Article: The Problem with Heroic Leaders by Mike Myatt
• Article: Is heroic leadership all bad? by Mitch McCrimmon

Posts that link to this post

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This page is part of a blook on Conversational Leadership. Parts of this book have restricted access. You can learn more about the book and how to obtain full access on the home page.

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