Leadership Influence
Before beginning this week’s discussions about leadership, I
was under the assumption that while there may be many different types of
leaders, what it means to be a leader was encompassed into one definition. I
was wrong. I was also wrong about what I thought that definition was. For
example, I believed that leader was also a good motivator. Someone who saw the
best in people and motivated them to bring that out. I now realize that the
leader is not the one doing the motivating, but rather just creating the
environment that allows people to self-motivate. But what does that look like?
I’m not sure yet.
I was also under the impression that a leader was of an
authoritarian type figure. While not necessarily a person in a power position,
they were someone who had a degree of power, but I guess it matters as to where
that power came from and if it was given willingly.
I think before, I thought that a leader had natural
abilities that people naturally gravitated towards; kind of like someone with
great charisma. Someone who knew how to get the job done, knew what to say,
when to say it, and to whom to say it to. One definition, one umbrella. Of
course, this is not that case at all. There are many different types of leaders
and each situation calls for a different type of leader. Situational leadership
suggest that the leader has to mold themselves to the people and the situation
that needs leadership, not the other way around.
I once worked for a woman who I would have just described as
a great boss. I would not have necessarily called her a great leader. However,
after going over this week’s definitions of leadership I realize that that was
exactly what she was, a great leader. I would describe her as a great leader
because while doing my own job, she noticed something that I was actually
really good at. She started having me take on tasks that would allow me to
showcase my strength in this area. It was noticed by the company because it
generated more revenue, which of course benefited both my boss and me. She later
told me that by doing that with me, she learned how to identify strengths in
people and put those strengths to better use. Because she did all of this in a
way that seemed to just naturally evolve I was thankful instead of feeling like
I was being used.
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