Is there a Leader within everyone?
There are several self-help books and other resources that entice us to develop the leader within. But, is there really a leader within everyone? If so, then how does that corelate with the six archetypes and how are each of them unique & different from each other?
Explain, using examples and references, and relate your comments to the Four Principles for Purposeful Action.
This post was written by Jimy George, who will lead the discussion for the week starting on March 17.
I do not believe EVERYONE has the ability or desire to be a leader.
During my 26.5 years of military service, I have found countless individuals who where not and never would be leaders. These individuals just want to do the job they are told to do and lead the life they want to. No resposibility, except for themselves and they are happy with this.
And it goes beyond the military into the workplace I deal with today.
I believe that alot of companies and the U S Government have been sold on the idea that “EVERYONE” has a leader in them. These companies and the Govt then spend countless millions on “training” to bring out the “internal leader”.
I do believe that some people need to be “trained” or “guided” into being the leader they can become.
Roy E, Everyone do not have an desire to be a leader but everyone has an ability to be a leader in doing things.
5 Ways to Recognize the Leader Within You:
1. Leaders have an belief system of success. Their attitude is, “I will be successful even if I make mistakes in the trying.” There is an innate confidence that comes because they took an action step. Perhaps this action step was a task totally unfamiliar to them, but they tried anyway. Whether they succeeded at this point or not is immaterial. The point is a leader goes into action because they believe they can be successful.
How many times in whatever role you have lived, this has been your experience? Daily, whether you are a stay at home Mom or office executive. We have all demonstrated that we are leaders and know the taste of success.
Your leadership in your business will grow in relationship to taking action steps. You will attract business because of this inner confidence showing through.
2. Leaders know what they want. Again, to pull from your life experience, each time you set a goal for yourself, focusing on how to accomplish this task in a certain time you are a leader. You know what happened. You set a goal, you focused your energies on the task and it got done.
Leadership in business follows the same strategy. You have done it in real life, you can do it in marketing. You will benefit most with accessing the education from your company or marketing coach as to what your goals could be.
3. All leaders learn to overcome. Leaders come from all walks of life with all kinds of past baggage to deal with. Leaders are those people who do the personal work of overcoming personal fears, doubts, and lack of confidence. Yes, even though success breeds confidence, we do not always start with confidence. Leaders do what other people are not willing to do. Leaders have to overcome their fear of rejection. Again this is accomplished with taking action steps.
The personal responsibility of facing any shortcomings in their lives and dealing with them as we have discussed, results in Leaders having an optimism. They love and protect those dear to them. They love and take care of themselves.
Doing this kind of work is challenging, but, worth it. Are you willing to take it on?
4. When you are really clear on your goals, this draws people to your business that value the same goals. When you are really clear on what your end result will be, the boundaries of how time, energy and resources used are clear and keeps you and the team focused.
Time and money management are skills we learn throughout life. How well we succeed in these areas are our personal choice. There are many ways that you have likely already demonstrated leadership in this way. If not, then it can be learned.
Leaders put great value on their time. They keep in mind what is important to achieve the end goal and prioritize. Do you know any leaders who have abundant funds and growing who are spendthrifts? Not likely, they have learned to control the impulsive, extravagant buying. They understand the principle of stewardship. They seek investing advice. They have experienced the truth of giving, sowing seeds of generosity and receiving in turn.
Leaders give a lot of themselves to others. In their time management, they know the return of empowering their teams with training and support for their success.
5. Leaders learn communication skills. This may be a formal path in participating in something like Toastmasters, accessing Arthur Samuel Joseph training materials. There are many opportunities to learn to become a better communicator.
With communication comes people skills. Leaders learn the value of physical posture, speaking with energy and confidence. Leaders know that when they put others first, they will have more opportunities to impact more people in a positive manner. People skills is key to attracting prospects to your business and your team-line.
Reference: http://ezinearticles.com/?5-Ways-to-Recognize-the-Leader-Within-You&id=1458041
Hema,
Thats a great Work, you have pointed very useful and intresting points!!
good article chandrika. I agree the fact that If you can think, feel, hope, empathize, cry, smile, or wish, then you have a leader inside you awaiting a courageous awakening.
It’s sometimes hard to say YES, because there’s the thought that if everyone was a leader, then who would be the follower??? And that’s why I’d like to go back to the idea brought by Dr.Chopra that we can all display facets of the attributes that go with different archetypes at different times and in different circumstances. The key point is that a leader does not have to be “all the way at the top” with no one above him or her… A CEO can have a leader as well, be it outside the company, in the form of a spiritual leader, a parent, extrospective peer from another organization, etc. But the relativity with respect to the organization needs to speak towards him/her being THE leader of that company as it’s essential vision be unified and channeled unilaterally!
Having laid that out as clear as I can try to - I maintain we were created with the intent to lead, also to serve - EVERYONE of us - and that one is not better than the other, but better because of the other! We need to seek out the servant leader in each of us and use it to fulfil our purpose in life and make the world a little better in the process…
Well said, Jimy. A person becomes a leader depending on the time and the place of the circumstances. Every leader needs a clear vision and followers. Who will do the work toward the vision if everyone is a leader?
Wonderful statements Jimy. I agree that we all need to learn to be servant leaders. This is what I strive to do at work. I always tell my team that I am here to serve you not to boss you. No one can be truly successful alone. At work it takes teams to make things happen. And no one person on the team is any more important than anyone else.
I do think that while some have the ability to convert to different archetypes as the situation dictates, not all people have the ability to do this. I still think that not everyone has the desire to ever be a leader.
At my work, you have lineman and you have truck operators/groundmen. The typical thing is for the truck operator/groundman to work his way up to a lineman postion and eventually as openings occur to a crew leader position. However, at my work you have several men who are nearing retirement, began as a groundman and to this day are still a groundman. They have never had the drive, the motivation, or the want to advance themselves to anything more. This is true with a Leader. While it is possible that everyone has the ability to lead, not all people have the desire or ever will have the desire.
You make a good point also that ther are different types of leaders. Not just in the work sense. There are leaders in organizations, churches, communities, neighborhood, and most importantly families.
I believe there is a leader within everyone. However, not everybody is a natural leader, which makes things much easier, but I believe that anybody can rise to the occasion and become an effective leader only if he/she finds its mission in that specific situation, which “provoked” us to be leaders.
“Here are listed 10 characteristics of natural leaders -
1. The only person you can change is yourself.
Self-management comes before managing others or managing an organization. Understanding the impact of your behavior is crucial to leadership.
2. You must feel comfortable being in a leadership role.
Leadership calls for authenticity. If you are not comfortable with the role, others will sense it and withhold the full measure of whatever it is they have to contribute.
3. Being a natural leader involves being able to adjust your style to the skill level and commitment of others in any given situation.
Reading the people/task mix requires skill, flexibility and intuition.
4. Natural leaders develop other leaders
Leaders of today must share skills, insight and power to bring along others who have the potential to lead. This includes giving others the opportunity to lead. Someone once said that leadership is like manure. Left in a pile it starts to smell really bad and does no good. Spread around evenly it promotes growth and doesn’t smell bad at all.
5. As a leader, you must make sure information flows freely in all directions.
The culture must be such that withholding information to strengthen one’s own power or for any reason is absolutely not tolerated.
6. Leaders have to be accessible.
You have to create a culture in which people feel they can tell you the bad news as well as the good news. You cannot isolate yourself or let others isolate you.
7. Leadership in modern organizations means sometimes fading into the background . . . when it is natural to do so.
You do not have to plan every tactic or lead every charge. Hire good people who can articulate your vision as well as you can (maybe even better) and then let them do it.
8. Leaders need to provide support.
Become a sponsor for someone else’s idea or project. Make sure you provide the resources and structure others need to succeed.
9. Leaders must create a culture that encourages risk and tolerates mistakes.
In these times, playing it safe in business is the riskiest strategy.
10. Leadership skills can be developed.
Natural does not mean born with. Leadership skills can be learned and this learning circles back to self-management.”
Reference: http://www.belgotec.com/sb-tips/tips76.htm
Mirek,
Excellent research work,listed 10 characteristics truly represent the leadership qualities..
It looks like 2 through 10 are based on number 1, yourself. Possessing the five positive core values is the basis for becoming a leader.
Mirek
The ten (10) characteristics you listed and the explanations with them do represent what leaders need to lead.
But, some of these characteristics show that some cannot be leaders.
Example:
#2: there are individuals who are not comfortable “out front”, they want to do what has to be done and not take the lead in anything
There is a leader in everyone. Some leaders are very good and some are bad. Motivating yourself and others is fundamental leadership ability. Motivation starts from within. Motivation is a complex topic. Internal motivation comes from within a person. Understanding and supporting the motivation of the individual archetype is vital.
The different archetypes have different desires of motivation. There are countless opportunities for leadership. There is great need for shared or participative leadership, which also results in more effective followers—individuals who are committed to the active and substantive involvement essential to attaining group goals.
http://www.oznet.ksu.edu/leads/FACT%20Sheets/EP81.pdf
I agree with you Mark. Yes, leadership skills can be nurtured through proper guidance.
Complete agreement with you Mark. Motivation spurs an individual to acheive things he/she might never have thought of. To be a leader I guess requires the most motivation a person can show.