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Defining (Change) Leadership: How Hard Can it Be?

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Here is a link (bottom) to an article recently published by the International Journal of Leadership Studies.  The two authors made an attempt to develop a comprehensive, meaningful definition of leadership by reviewing available models and definitions in research and management literature (I know…“ugh”).  If anything, it resulted in a bulky composite—not likely helpful to the practice of leadership.

I can’t decide if someone thought that the published research exercise was tenure-worthy or just the product of a lost bar bet...perhaps both!

This blog was created as an on-line community for CHANGE LEADERS--seeing a link to this article was a prompt to step back, declare, and disclose my own perspective on leadership.  Anyone can lace a definition with values (e.g., service; authenticity) and tasks (coach; share a vision).  Re-looking at the challenge of defining leadership in the context of THIS forum, however, helped refocus my thinking—and, I believe, identify a more fundamental, concrete output.  Further, I believe that this is another place where simplicity points the way to truth and success. 

I have a challenge for you and all leaders of change—one that I’ve found useful in helping the leaders I coach develop their own “teachable point-of-view” on leadership (thanks, Noel Tichy for TPV):

THE CHALLENGE:

 1-If you could distill leadership down to ONE THING…what would that be?

 2-How do you DEMONSTRATE that in their guidance to teams, individuals, and others you serve as a leader (the board, community, professional groups, etc.)?

3-Identify places where you can demonstrate that form of leadership MORE CONSISTENTLY.

 4-Now, EXAMINE where you’ve fallen into old habits, rationalized demands or expectations, or used “management” as a crutch when it becomes harder to lead. 

5-How can you influence your environment and your own behavior to maximize FIDELITY with your own image of self-as-leader? (…and how can I help?)

Ok…here’s my personal response-- “Leadership means, ‘ELEVATE.’ “

*Elevate expectations (what we CAN achieve);

*Elevate aspirations (goals and targets we WILL achieve);

*Elevate standards (taking the highest path to HOW we achieve);

*Elevate meaning (connection to purpose and desired outcomes);

*Elevate energy (focus it on the right things); and

*Elevate learning (insight to customer needs, improvement, and personal growth).

I find that when I’m doing these things, all the other “stuff” I lump into leadership is happening by default.  Again, SIMPLICITY WINS.  (Okay, I granted myself the six bullet-qualifiers to elaborate on the ONE THING, but after I applied this 2-3 times, I didn't need to refer to the details any longer--the ONE WORD was all I needed).

I test myself by asking if my decisions, actions, and guidance to others are ELEVATING—if I can confidently say YES, I know I’m on the right path…and leading!

Thoughts?  Your ONE thing?  Please share!

Scroll down this page to see my related post:

“The ONE Key to Overcoming the 70% Failure Rate in Managing Change”

(spoiler alert…it has to do with the REAL “human element” that matters in change—leadership!)

LINK to article:  http://theleaderlab.org/2010/10/an-integrative-definition-of-leadership/