If you ask someone to define leadership, he or she may struggle. They may be able to list examples of people who exhibit strong leadership: country leaders, corporate CEOs, religious figures, cause supporters. But putting into words a real working definition is a challenge because it seems so abstract. Below are some attempts to put the definition into words.
The Control Issue
Can you define leadership in terms of the amount of power someone wields or the amount of control they have over their followers? That can play a role. However, some of the best leaders are those struggling to get more power, such as Martin Luther King Jr. Other important leaders are those who did not exercise control over “underlings” but who sought to bring together a diverse mix of ideas to create the best approaches for solving problems.
Sometimes the best leadership comes from people who know how to give up a little control now and then as well as those who can appreciate the value of others’ ideas
Born or Made?
A huge issue in the field of leadership is the age old question of whether leaders are born that way or made that way. Like the debate over nature versus nurture, the truth probably lies somewhere in the middle. You can probably think back to people who showed signs of leadership even when they were playing at recess. Yet, evidence has shown that people from all backgrounds and personality types can learn to be leaders with the proper training, motivation, and attitude. Plus, some of the people with the greatest innate leadership ability may squander their abilities and end up not being effective at all.
The Value of Communication
When it comes time to define leadership, no thorough definition can be complete without including good communication. A leader has to be able to use his or her words to explain problems and to discuss options but also to motivate others. No good leader in history has lacked this important skill. Think back to all of the important leaders in the history – both the good and the infamous – and you’ll find communication was definitely one of their assets.
What does this mean for you as a potential leader? It means that you want to focus on building strong communication skills early on, including developing the ability to speak to a group without falling to pieces.
Confidence = Leadership
Strong leadership is synonymous with confidence. If you don’t believe in your own abilities to lead a group, you’ll never be able to inspire loyalty in others. But you do have to remember the difference between confidence and its extremes. Being too confident is worse than lacking confidence because you’ll tune out all opposition and fail to listen to competing ideas even if they may have their merits. Narcissistic people rarely make good leaders. They become too concerned with their own image and less concerned with making the right decisions. And recognizing the difference is essential when you define leadership.
