LEADERSHIP LAWS - #2/21 : The Law of the Lid

The True Measure of Leadership is Influence – Nothing More, Nothing Less
 
True leadership cannot be awarded, appointed, or assigned. It comes only from influence, and that cannot be mandated. It must be earned.
 
Five Myths About Leadership

1. The Management Myth – that leading and managing are the same. Leadership is about influencing people to follow, while management focuses on maintaining systems and processes. Managers can maintain direction; to move people you need influence.
2. The Entrepreneur Myth – entrepreneurs are skilled at seeing opportunities and going after them. But not all of them are good with leading people in their vision.
3. The Knowledge Myth – neither IQ nor education necessarily equates to leadership.
4. The Pioneer Myth – being a trendsetter is not the same as being a leader. To be a leader, a person has to not only be out in front, but also has to have people following his lead.
5. The Position Myth – leadership is not based on rank or title. It’s not the position that makes the leader; it’s the leader that makes the position.

Several Factors That Make a Leader

1. Character – Who They Are – true leadership always begins with the inner person. People can sense the depth of a person’s character.
2. Relationships – Who They Know – with deep relationships with the right people you can become the real leader in an organization.
3. Knowledge – What They Know – information is vital. You need a grasp of the facts to develop an accurate vision for the future.
4. Intuition – What They Feel – leaders seek to recognize and influence intangibles such as energy, morale, timing and momentum.
5. Experience – Where They’ve Been – the greater your past challenges, the more likely followers will be willing to let you lead.
6. Ability – What They Can Do – the bottom line is followers want to know whether you can lead them to victory. As soon as they no longer believe you can deliver, they will stop following.  

STORY

When Princess Diana married to Prince Charles, she was painfully shy and totally overwhelmed by all the attention. However, she kept adjusting to do her new role. She traveled around, represented the royal family in various functions and built many important relationships with politicians, organizers and entertainers. At first, she was simply a spokesperson. But as time went by, her influence increased. Even after she divorced with Prince Charles, she lost her title, but that lost didn’t at all diminish her impact. Instead, her influence overweighed her former husband and in-laws. Even in death, Diana continued to influence others. Her impact didn’t come because she once had a title. She made things happen because she was an influencer.

Leadership is influence.