What is leadership?

Some of the definitions of leadership that I’ve found:

• The organisation of people to achieve a common goal
• The action of leading a group of people or organisation
• The process of social influence in which one person can enlist the aid and support of others in the accomplishment of a common goal

The above definitions all hold true, but the essence of true leadership is derived from an individual’s sense of being. For years I believed that leadership was something that ‘other’ people did – and definitely not my character trait. I believed that only a chosen ‘few’ were born with some innate charismatic gifting; they had this natural ability to influence and lead other people around a personal/common goal. The rest of us were then natural followers again whose innate gifting was to ‘follow’. I have since discovered that we’ve all been given the inherent ability of leadership that requires discovery and development. Leadership is an attitude of being and mind and that the true leader first starts leading in their own lives – they influence themselves, follow their own message, and build their own lives around a goal. True leadership then comes from a sense of purpose.

The questions that the potential leader must ask are:

• Who am I?
• Why am I here?
• What should I be doing?

Answers to these questions should initiate your discovery in your leadership potential.

Who am I? - meaning, what are the intrinsic/natural qualities that you have been born with.

Why am I here? - Again this question is aligned to your innate qualities. This needs to be discovered and developed and then used to ‘serve’ your generation. Abraham Maslow, in his theory the ‘Hierarchy of Needs’ states that after all our basic needs of air, food, water are met and the requirements of love, family are fulfilled. We need to have a higher sense of personal fulfilment and growth and this is achieved by developing ourselves.

What should I be doing? - Serving our gifts and talents to others. We derive a sense of happiness and fulfilment when we are growing and contributing to the greater good of others.

True leaders have a distinctive sense of self, who they are, they tend to be very confident and self-assured which can seem to be arrogant, although, in some cases it’s not. They just have a very clear sense of purpose and vision and move with a sense of ‘assignment’ and urgency. From that state you can lead yourself and truthfully lead others either around your life’s goal or around an organisations goal.

Leadership is finding your passion and purpose and then building your life around that cause. Once that sense of leadership is discovered and nurtured life begins to have meaning, purpose and value.