The most simple definition of leadership is...leadership is influence. Everyone has it. Do you know why you're using it? If your why is off then the how won't matter.
Patrick Lencioni consistently delivers & his latest book is no exception! In "The Motive" he shifts his focus on helping us understand the importance of why we're leading in the first place. He presents...
There are 2 reasons people want to become a leader: to do whatever is needed to serve the people OR for rewards like attention, status, power, etc.
You have to understand your leadership motive if you're going to lead people. Don't be a leader (of people) unless you're doing it for the right reasons.
The 2 Types
- Servant Leadership
- Reward-Based Leadership
Reward-Based leaders avoid these critical things...
- Having uncomfortable & difficult conversations
- Managing direct reports
- Running great meetings
- Team building
- Repeating themselves
If we find we're leading from reward, it is possible to change. We just need to admit it first. Real people suffer when we don't do our jobs as leaders.
Leaders have difficult conversations and manage direct reports. If you find these tedious & boring, your leadership behaviors need realigning. If people aren't led, friction, confusion & disengagement aren't far behind and the organization becomes political. Leaders like this hate meetings & often keep them short. If "leader" is an expectation of your position think about how your leadership behaviors are helping others. What did you do today to recognize someone else's leadership?
The way you know an executive is good at their job is in the meeting. The true cost of bad meetings is bad decisions. Bad decisions around employees, customers, partners, finances that cause people to suffer. Stop the "Death by Meeting" suffering!
"My hope is that someday people won't talk about servant leadership because that will be the only type of leadership that exists."
-Patrick Lencioni
Which direction is your leadership moving in?
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