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Leadership, vision, purpose, and their impact on ourselves and others.
What people or characteristics spring to mind, more specifically, when you hear the word Leadership? All of us have different ideas about what makes a good leader. If we were to name names, many types of people would appear on the list. There would be some similarities between lists, but there may also be differences.
I do not believe there are any commonalities in the traits of the people on the lists, even though the names may differ. Many books have been written about Leadership.
Amazon searches revealed that there are over 57,000 titles that contain the word leadership. This is a lot to consider, including research, opinions, conjecture, and perhaps even some facts. As the topic has been discussed in detail elsewhere, I will not attempt to summarize or describe my perspective on Leadership. I’ll mention a few traits that I think are common to most, if not all, of the great leaders.
To me, characteristics like a clear vision and purpose and the ability to communicate them with others come to mind. Their passion for this purpose can permeate the group or team they lead. Motivation to achieve desired goals is almost contagious.
“Leadership and influence are the same.” – John Maxwell
John C. Maxwell is my favorite author for books about Leadership. Maxwell is a leader in the field of Leadership, having written more than 50 books. He is also a sought-after keynote speaker at corporate events and conferences.
I have read his books and heard him speak several times, so his unique perspective certainly shapes my views.
My goal is to provide you with more value while reading this article. I don’t want to just regurgitate the same information. Instead, I would like to offer you a different perspective on Leadership. You may even be able to assess your leadership abilities.
It’s possible that your actions could impact others in your sphere.
I studied Leadership by asking questions and studying leaders. It’s not an original idea or method, but I want to share some of the questions that I ask. These questions will hopefully get your wheels turning and inspire you to discover more about the leader in you. They certainly did for me.
How can we become better leaders?
What lessons can we learn about Leadership from great leaders?
Why do people develop their leadership skills?
These questions will help us better understand our strengths and weaknesses as leaders. Understanding our natural strengths and weaknesses is important.
It’s a great way to expose some of my weaknesses. To improve, self-evaluation is essential. Don’t let your gaps in leadership abilities deter you. But the last question is crucial.
Leading can be difficult if it is not impossible
Understanding what motivates others and, more importantly, what motivates you to develop your stubborn leadership weaknesses is important.
It is important to know what motivates us at a deep intuitive level. It becomes so ingrained in us that it is part of our core. If we don’t, we will give up when the going gets tough and settle for what is easier, safer, and mediocre.
In the subheading, I mention Vision and Purpose. They are interconnected to Leadership. In my 46 years, I have asked these questions to many great leaders.
What vision and purpose guides their Leadership
Instead of diving into the purpose and the vision of others, I ask the same question… What is behind Your Leadership, and what is the vision that guides it?
Identifying your vision and purpose can give you the understanding and motivation needed to overcome any challenges your Leadership will face. It is not uncommon for the process of becoming a successful leader to be lonely, similar to building a business.
You will encounter people who will challenge your leadership skills and those who will doubt your business knowledge. We will sometimes doubt our abilities, whether to be a leader or a business owner. This is the time when we need to be able to reflect on our own vision and purpose for what we do.
I think we all have a leader in us.
In this context, I would like to ask you a final question.
How does a leader influence people
This article is titled The Leading Impact because I think that true Leadership can have a profound impact on other people. Great Leadership in business can create jobs, wealth, stability, and financial freedom.
Great Leadership in life can influence generations through its ripple effect on the lives of those around them. Great Leadership can inspire a passion for being a better person than yesterday. This flame can then spread to other people who will take on the role of Leadership and continue to impact lives.
It doesn’t really matter if you learn how to lead yourself and never consider leading a group of change agents. You can make a big impact with your Leadership, whether it’s on a small group or even generations.
All of this is possible if you decide to define your purpose, create a vision for your life and become the leader you were meant to be.
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