NAVIGATING THE WINDS OF CHANGE
By Geri Byrne, Business Development Coach

What is effective leadership and how do we become that kind of leader?

One of the best definitions comes from author J. Oswald Sanders when he described leadership as “Influence.”

Influence is about inspiring and moving people into action in order to reach a desired goal. Before you can inspire you must have the trust, respect, and heart of your people. Credibility and trust are based on your words, your actions, the consistency between the two; these will have a huge influence on how employees feel and how hard they will work for you.

There is a difference between an “Influential Leader” and a “Positional Leader.” The Positional Leader has the title. I am the President. I am the Director. I am the King. But that doesn’t make you influential. And it hardly inspires those who work for you.

Leadership = Influence

It is about you

You must make the conscious choice to accept the leadership role. In making the choice to lead, you take responsibility for yourself first, which means you must commit to working on your own personal and professional development. If you cannot, or will not, lead and develop yourself, you cannot lead and develop others.

It is about your employees

Your purpose as a leader is to engage and motivate your employees to bring 100% of themselves to work, every day. As their leader, it is your responsibility to create the right environment for them to motivate themselves and to exceed your expectations. Your focus should be on helping people perform more effectively and efficiently. This helps them become more productive and advance in their careers. It also shows them that you care about them.

It is about the organization.

As a leader within your organization, you must recognize that you are part of the organization, but not the organization itself. The truly effective leader knows he or she is an active member within the team and always works to better the team. Real leaders have a forward looking direction and work to build the culture of their group.

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