From Episode 59 of The Complete Leader Podcast
After all of the years that I’ve worked in leadership, there is one question that resurfaces again and again: Are leaders born or made?
While you can’t ignore that everyone is born with certain traits that will affect leadership abilities, this is not the end of the journey. Part of the challenge as leaders is to understand what those traits are and how to further develop them.
This is why I truly believe that leaders are both born and made.
If you want to become the best leader that you can be, you must intentionally build on those identified natural skills, behaviors, and passions—and part of this is understanding exactly what a leader is.
Author Peter Drucker defined a leader as someone who has followers. But is that it? Think about the people around you who are traditionally defined as leaders, like your supervisor at work. Are they a leader? Some will answer, yes, of course, my supervisor is a great leader. Others may chuckle or hesitate and say, sure, my supervisor is a leader—but not necessarily a good one. When thinking about Drucker’s definition I always wondered, why does someone have followers? What exactly is it that makes a follower want to follow a leader?
I believe leadership all comes down to influence. There are even people who have a lot of influence over you that you’ve never even met! Their words, their example, or their purpose can influence you to the extent that you might not even notice it, but they are leading you.
And in using this expanded definition of leadership, it becomes very clear that every single person has the opportunity to be a leader, to lead from any level, anywhere. Once you recognize this, you can begin the process of intentional leadership development.
From my work with leaders from countries around the world, I’ve found these four guidelines to truly accelerate any effective leadership development—whether you are working as an individual or within a specific program. Follow these, and you’ll be on your way to becoming a complete leader.
- Determine clear and specific objectives. You need to create focus—think about a laser beam rather than a spotlight. The laser has the power to cut through the noise and get to the core of something. Practice self-awareness and determine which skills could make the most difference to you right now. Choose two or three associated skills and focus solely on those for a few months to know them truly. Don’t simply study them for a few days until the excitement wears out.
- Practice and application in the real world. You need to go beyond simple experiential activities and connect what you’re working on to the real issues that you face in your work. A mentor or coach is an excellent way to both work through problems and track progress—but you must call them when you find yourself in the middle of a mess at work. It’s important not to wait until the next meeting or coaching call because having a problem to solve is one of the greatest learning opportunities you have.
- Don’t shy away from deeper reflection. Some of the most effective leadership development is going to require some sort of change in your behavior as a leader. You’re going to have to think, talk, and behave differently, and to get there you have to go beneath the surface. Use ‘what’ and ‘why’ questions—ask, why do I do things the way I do? Why do I lose my temper, why am I afraid of conflict? You’ve got to be willing to do some personal work if you’re going to create the behaviors that make you more successful as a leader. This will help you get to the root of the problem rather than just treating the symptoms.
- Look for ways to measure results. Specifically, look for ways to measure tangible, observable results that have value. It’s not that there aren’t intangible results, both from personal development or leadership programs, but you cannot simply have a good feeling about this work. The tangible results earn respect and often show others how you have changed. Think about financial metrics, goals achieved, actions taken, or relationships grown. Will any of your colleagues be able to observe and confirm these results?
After all of the decades that I have been involved in pursuing and understanding leadership, some days I feel like I’m still a novice. That’s not for lack of effort or resources, but because getting to know yourself and growing yourself as a leader is a lifelong quest.
Warren Bennis, author of On Becoming a Leader, once said, “To become a leader, you must become yourself; become the maker of your life.” This is that combination of being born a leader and intentionally becoming a great leader. Remember—you are a leader beyond what you understand right now. The extent to which you are a good leader or a bad leader is based on the extent to which you understand your potential for influence.
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