Leadership: influence or execution?
by Miki SaxonPost from Leadership Turn Image credit: Vik Nanda
It has always bothered me that influence is listed as one of the top defining characteristics of leadership.
Influence—good or bad—is anchored in the ability to sway people through communications, but that has nothing to do with the ability to implement and execute.
Am I off-base here? Are people whose rhetoric fires up those around them, filling them with a passionate desire to accomplish X, but are incapable of doing the rest of what it takes to make it happen truly leaders?
You tell me.
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June 16th, 2008 at 7:34 am
It would seem to me that people are influenced by things beyond soaring rhetoric, icluding demonstrated capacity and sound judgment. Leaders with integrity endeavour to “walk the walk they talk”, which gives a stable platform for visible or spoken influence.
Such leaders sometimes motivate even with a simple gesture, slight nod, solemn glance or leading move.
Rhetoric retains its credibilty when integrated with execution, wisdom or insight. This causes it to ring true and gives its resonance. When it’s built on flimsy glittering webs, it won’t influence the reasonable, the thoughtful or the sensible over the long haul.
June 16th, 2008 at 9:23 am
Hi Jamie, I totally agree, but question the predominance of “reasonable, sensible, thoughtful” people, especially the thoughtful. More and more people seem willing to follow mindlessly and then blame those they followed for luring them with the “glittering webs.”
Thanks for adding to the discussion!
June 16th, 2008 at 11:34 am
Jamie brings up several good points, but as Miki pointed out “reasonable, sensible, thoguhtful” people have always been in short supply.
Take your “average” televangilist and you end up with someone who can talk the talk but their ability to walk to the walk is highly questionable, but lots of people follow and hang on their every word.
June 16th, 2008 at 12:37 pm
Hi Luke, your televangelist is a perfect example of influence sans execution as are other religious leaders and politicians. People follow them (blindly?), rationalize the oft growing discrepancies and then express shock when it all blows up.