What IS Leadership Anyway?
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There are so many definitions of what leadership is, it's overwhelming. They range from a "feel" of the word to diving into the Indo-European root of what the English word "leadership" means. I have a few favorites that I reflect on often, and if any of these resonate with you, I'd love to hear from you, just send a reply. Seth Godin has a lot to say about leadership. And he does it in a simplified way that always gets me thinking. He says, "Management is required, leadership is voluntary." He often says "leadership is a choice", it's learned by doing, and it takes practice. Otto Scharmer says that "leadership is the process of dying." 👀 Not dying in a literal sense, but a "process of letting go" - stepping out of a previous existence or role or expertise, and stepping into new territory. Diana Chapman shares her definition of leadership which has been my favorite for a long time, "anyone who owns their influence on others", or said a little differently, "anyone who wants to take responsibility for their influence in the world." What do you think of this one? For me, it tells me that if I'm "owning" my influence, then I need to do my best to understand it fully, learning and adjusting. This definition tells me that "leader" isn't a title, which I love. ❤️ Why does any of this matter? As a leader it can be helpful to explore what leadership means to YOU. Try to check in with yourself - how do you personally think about leadership? How does that meaning help you tune your presence, your style, and your hopeful impact? Here are a few related resources that I've enjoyed recently and have been sharing: 1 // If you're thinking about a professional transition, or in the middle of one, "admitting what is obvious is to take a scary leap". (5 min read) 2 // What is "ruinous empathy" and how can practicing candor help? (15 min video) 3 // There's a problem with what other people think, and their "undesirable projections". (5 min read) If you enjoyed this, would you forward it to 1 friend who might like it too? Subscribing is easy, below.
I hope you all have a great weekend! With gratitude, Jason P.S. - There are 3 ways I can help you when you're ready: working with you 1:1 as a leader, helping your team "team" better, and learning as a group how to manage Accidental Diminishing tendencies with the Multipliers Leadership Development program. You are receiving this email because you subscribed at https://kinkou.org. Did you make some changes or no longer want to receive these emails? You can update your profile or unsubscribe below. |