Leaders are Helpful

In recent years there have been countless volumes of books and articles written on leadership.  Even the noted management guru Peter Drucker who, in his early writings downplayed the importance of leadership in favor of strong management, came to posit that strong leadership had a much more important role than he had previously indicated.  The field is now rich with leadership practitioners such as John C. Maxwell, Simon Sinek, Orrin Woodward, Chris Brady, and Jack Welch, to name a few, and leadership academics such as Warren Bennis, Carol S. Dweck, Angela Duckworth, Paul Hersey, James M. Kouzes, Barry Z. Posner and many others all contributing to the body of knowledge on leadership and/or some component of leadership development.

Yet, effective leadership alludes too many individuals and organizations.  Many individuals continue to ascend to leadership positions for all the wrong reasons.  They may be ego driven, seeking greater financial gain, craving a sense of increasing power, or been in the wrong place at the wrong time and had a position 'dumped' on them that was unwanted and for which they were not ready.

As we continue to unpack our understanding of effective leadership, I will continue to deal with leadership components and issues one by one.  In some cases there will be patterns and a clear connected path; in other cases it may seem that I am just pulling items at random.  Both will be true.

Today, a friend and colleague sent the above meme to me with the note "Here's one for u to post".  The more I looked at this simple message, the more the deeper meaning of the message hit me. The graphic below does a good job of introducing the concept of recognizing the difference between a boss and a leader.

I want to concentrate on the top graphic.  We have all had bosses who made it very clear that we worked FOR them and not WITH them.  They dictated tasks, rarely gave credit, hardly ever said thank you, and created a tense, if not toxic, work environment.  To be the BOSS they had to be tough!  Contrast that with the leaders with whom it has been our privilege to work.  They always ask for things to be done, quickly give credit and take blame, frequently offer sincere thanks, and always seek to create a caring and nurturing work environment.  They are there to help and support.  To be the LEADER they were by nature helpful!

Effective leaders build relationships, gain trust, and create a healthy work culture and environment where people feel valued and appreciated.  They are all about we and not me.

Aim to be that leader!