Leadership

If People Follow You - Then You are a Leader

By Erica ⋅ October 14, 2007 ⋅  Email this post ⋅ Post a comment

I’ve been thinking a lot these days about what it takes to be a Leader. Do you need Charisma? Power? Intelligence? Good Looks? Is Leadership a quality that you are born with - or is it something that can be developed? And how do you know if you’re a Leader vs. a fool angling to be a Leader?

For years I have heard people say - “If People Follow You - Then You are a Leader”. And while I don’t disagree with that statement - I will say that I’ve seen an awful lot of people follow the wrong folks for all the wrong reasons. Of course - this has more to do with the distinction of being a Toxic Leader vs. being a Remarkable Leader. So let’s break this down:

Toxic Leaders:

• May Be Visionary or Charismatic
• Often Push Their Own Agendas - and are Motivated by their Own Self-Interests
• Understand How to Play Office Politics - and Win
• Are Often Unethical or Amoral
• Can be extremely persuasive

Remarkable Leaders:

• Have the Ability to Hold Crucial Conversations without wounding Egos
• Have the power of Influence - but balance it with the power of Vision
• Are Candid, Authentic, Open, & Transparent
• Understand the Big Picture - and can put their cause before themselves
• Live in Integrity - choosing to do what is RIGHT over what is EASY
• Understand the incredible power of Transformation as it applies to their followers

• Currently Reading: Crucial Conversations
• Quote of The Day: "Fortune Favors the Bold"