Attitudes Influence

One way to make a difference as a leader is through attitude, whether positive or negative.
Being excited about the task at hand can go a long way for making even the most mundane positive. It is important for the leader to help everyone see the “vision” the vision of what the future will look like, what they will be like, what achievement will feel like. Being a leader takes passion and the leaders we love show it. Many of us love the movie Braveheart and other stories because of the leaders’ enthusiasm. So I challenge all leaders everywhere to get excited, motivate others and make a difference.

“A leader’s job is to give their people hope.”
Rudy Ruettiger, Notre Dame Football Player

Leading Teams

Leaders have a responsibility to regularly engage in the team building process. This can be done by hold meetings, receiving progress reports or simply interacting with team members.
Leaders are team members too, and need to remember that they should be focused not just on the team product but on the continuous improvement of the team itself. Team leaders are in the business of team building, the team in turn accomplishes the task whether it is evaluations and recommendations or making something or even managing.
Being an effective team leader is a challenge, often it is easier to simply participate, and while this can help accomplish the task at hand it does little in building the team up for further tasks or greater challenges. So like all leadership opportunities the leader needs to have a vision for the team both present and future oriented. By having a vision they are able to guide the team to further successes.

Influence in Leadership is Key

Too often when leadership is discussed the focus is solely oriented toward the relationship between the subordinate and the leader. But good leaders are influential on multiple levels. These levels are up, down and around. The influential power of good leaders are not limited to just the group they directly lead, they also create influence among peers and supervisors.
Certainly each leader must remain focused on attending to those within their group of followers, because a lack of concerned interaction will render them completely ineffective. Most leaders soon learn that subordinates will only put forth as much effort as they perceive that their leadership is willing to invest into the same activity. And a leader that does not take time to get to know individuals will miss out on pivotal personal interactions.
Another important group is a leader’s peers. Leader peers can make life easier by providing feedback and personal experiences. Influence between peers can also help foster a sense of appreciation for one another and the different challenges each leader faces. By interacting with peers, leaders can get valuable input from an outside source that is not directly related to their group.
Interestingly enough inadequate attention to one’s supervisors can also cause ineffectiveness as a leader. This is because if the subordinate leader is unable to shape expectations and decisions of the next higher level, they will forever be subject to direct input, without any “vote”. This can have devastating effects on the leader and the led, because if the situation is not corrected a sense of helplessness ensues as everyone begins to feel that they are nothing more than a cog.