As a life long student of Leadership, I have found it interesting how many people view the word as a noun instead of a verb. I understand that both can apply but the role of influential leaders is to provide action. John Maxwell says it best in one of his often used quotes “Leadership is influence, nothing more, nothing less.”
I have asked many people what leadership means and often times I get responses like, “the people that run the business” or “a group of people that make the decisions.” I suppose both are potentially correct but I see leadership as those that are influencing others.
The President of the United States is not just the individual who sits in the Oval Office. He is the person that is leading our Country. His decisions will influence the way our Nation operates both in success and in failure. I make no political statement here, just simply stating that the people that hold leadership positions, influence the outcome of those which they are leading.
The important question to me is, how much influence are they really having on those that they are leading? If we want to succeed in business, or in life, we need influential leaders. Leaders that are making a positive impact within the region, business or family in which they exist.
Here are a five ways to identify an Influential Leader:
1. AWARENESS
An influential leader has keen awareness of what the issues are. Have you ever heard a leader speak and thought “He has no idea what is really going on?” Leaders often lose touch on the pulse of the people they are leading. To facilitate change and forward movement, a leader needs to be aware of the issues and how his decisions will impact his people.
2. VISION
An influential leader has clear vision on what the desired outcome is for his role as a leader. There are two parts to this vision. The first is that the vision is in alignment with the needs of the people. The second is that this vision had been clearly communicated. This will provide in buy-in from his followers and unity and strength in moving forward as a whole.
3. DEVELOPING OTHERS
An influential leader develops those around him. It is crucial for the success of any organization to grow the people within that organization. If a leader has a long list of things “only he can do”, he is not doing a good job developing others. Eighty percent of a leaders time should be spent on only the things he can do. If this time is being spent on things that can be delegated, he is doing a poor job of developing and empowering others.
4. ENVIRONMENT
An influential leader works to create and develop and environment that is conducive to growth for both the individuals and the organization. A healthy environment is a place where others can thrive and grow. A place where there are opportunities to reach their potential.
5. LISTENING
Above all, an influential leader is a good listener. I said a good listener. A good listener blocks out his own personal agenda when actively listening. He also acts on what he has heard. No one person has the ability to make decisions on their own. They need to listen both to their staff and the people they represent.
Leadership is influence and in order to have influence there needs to be action. The results will be defined by the action taken. If you are a leader, what kind of results are you getting from your influence? If you are a follower, what kind of influence does your leader have on you?
Don’t be a positional leader. Having your name posted on your door or the word “president” as a title mean nothing unless you are acting in a way that fulfills the responsibility of that position.
Your influence as a leader will define your legacy as an individual. Are you creating the legacy that you want?
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Barry Smith www.buildingwhatmatters.com 2/1/13 photo by author
