Qualities and Characteristics of True Leadership
Leaders Don’t Create Followers, They Encourage Their Followers To Lead
Recently I’ve had a rather interesting revelation on leadership. One definition of a leader is the person who leads or commands a group of any kind, or the one in charge. Leadership can be described as a process of influence in which one person can enlist the aid or support of others to accomplishment a task.
In the past, when I envisioned a leader, that person was at the head of the crowd, with all others following. Recently I had a vision of leadership as someone grabbing hold of those following and attempting to thrust them forward.
In my own life I’ve come to realize that I am inherently a leader. When I see something that needs doing, and no one is stepping up to take charge and get it done, I will. I have a friend who is an awesome leader. She is an encourager and a motivator to all those who come in contact with her. Those are the people I want in my life. Leaders who challenge me to not only come up where they are, but aren’t intimidated to push others in front.
The true mark of leadership is not the process of amassing followers, but the process of instilling leadership qualities in others.
John C. Maxwell, famous for his leadership training says, “Leadership is not about titles, positions or flowcharts. It is about one life influencing another.”
Today I challenge those of us who God has inbred with the spirit to lead, along with those who find them self thrust into leadership. In whatever leading role you find yourself, an executive, a pastor or a parent, let’s ask ourselves, how we are leading? Are we leading by example? Are we growing those who follow us to become better leaders? Are we encouraging our understudies to move ahead, farther than we’ve gone, to take off with their own dreams and visions?
How do you line up with this simple bottom line of leadership qualities and characteristics? If you’re falling short or lead with the fear of losing your followers, change. Learn to lead. Be a motivator. Always push others forward, to reach their own destiny. Remember, there will always be followers behind a great leader. Push your followers on to greatness and make room for the next group who needs your influence.