Are you a leader or a meader?
by Miki Saxon
There’s a common thread that runs through leadership teachings starting at least 2500 years ago with Lao Tzu, who said,
The superior leader gets things done with very little motion. He imparts instruction not through many words but through a few deeds. He keeps informed about everything but interferes hardly at all. He is a catalyst, and though things would not get done well if he weren’t there, when they succeed he takes no credit. And because he takes no credit, credit never leaves him.
and
As for the best leaders,
the people do not notice their existence…
When the best leader’s work is done,
the people say, “We did it ourselves!”
To lead the people, walk behind them
Fast forward to 1987 and you have The 5 Practices of leadership from The Leadership Challenge,
- Model the Way
- Inspire a Shared Vision
- Challenge the Process
- Enable Others to Act
- Encourage the Heart
Today the hot terms are thought leadership and servant leadership.
The thread that runs through all this is that leadership is all about ‘them’, not about ‘me’—another reason that ‘politician’ and ‘leader’ are an oxymoron.
The other common thread is that leadership isn’t about what you do.
Leadership is about your MAP (mindset, attitude, philosophy™); it’s who you are.
Leadership is open to all, no matter what you do, at work or personally, you have opportunities to lead.
So the real question isn’t do you practice leadership, it’s are you a leader or a meader?
Post from Leadership Turn Image credit: .:Axle:.
May 7th, 2008 at 5:15 am
[…] hold in light of today’s modern workforce. Bennis is thought of as a pioneer in the field of leadership studies, much as Peter Drucker is considered the father of modern management […]
May 13th, 2008 at 10:01 am
This is excellent an website. I am one of those type of leaders naturally whom always their impact in a group work is not recognised. So I believe this an opportunity for me to learn from this Website.
May 13th, 2008 at 10:32 am
Godfrey, thanks for the kind words. One of the most important things to accept is that leadership is NOT a matter of the position you hold, how much you’re paid or what you do, but who you are. I hope that you’ll use the information here to nurture the who and the rest will take care of itself over time.