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.

Trust is a Must

Just today while coaching a young leader who had just accomplished a very large and successful project involving a couple hundred participants, I had to remind him that as a leader you must have a level of trust in those with whom you work.
Basically the activity had ended and we were sitting around discussing the Successful Points and the Improve Points, and he kept getting upset and frustrated with one of his site managers. Who did in fact completed the task, but had a rough beginning, until he had worked into a rhythm. As we talked I helped him realize that as the overall leader he had to trust in the abilities of the executor, or he would forever find himself doubting, burnout and disappointed. I pointed out that often those whom we lead will not complete the task just as we envisioned, despite lengthy planning sessions. But if the task was accomplished to standard then it is O.K. One because it builds the subordinate and two because it allows the key leader to focus on critical issues. The key to successful supervision as a leader is not allowing the standard to slip, even if the technique used to accomplish the task is varied.
So remember leaders, trust is a must, even when right may not look quite right; atleast not in the moment.

Use Informal Leaders

Every group has one, an informal leader that is, someone who influences others in the group more than average without a title or position. Informal leaders shape expectations and influences decisions often through their referent power. While most groups have a formal leader; someone identified by a position or title, they may not be the one with the most influence. Let me provide a semi-comical example most of us can relate to either personally or through observation. We have all seen it, parents strolling through the mall with kids in tow. When one of the children suddenly decides they want to see this or do that. And while the “formal” leader the parent protests, soon the entire family is at the pet store staring at puppies, or checking out balloons, or even worse spending money on the momentary distraction. So what happened? In this example our little informal leader knew the cues required to get attention drawn to his agenda and create sufficient influence to support it.
Another familiar scenario can be set in the workplace. The formal leader may call a well intended meeting with a planned agenda and objective, but the meeting soon deteriorates as attendees redirect their attention on the informal leader’s influence. These distractions can be quippable questions, criticizing comments or just plain immature antics.
The key to success is to use the informal leader. A little time invested up front to get buy in from them or at least run down some of their questions prior to execution will translate into a great investment in influence. By using the informal leader, group members will present less resistance and participate more, generating stronger results, which in turn will facilitate group accomplishment and satisfaction. Not to mention the reduced stress you’ll feel in trying to lead a group of individuals.

True Leaders are True Believers

I have found that true leaders are true believers.

• They believe in others.
• They believe in the cause.
• They believe in themselves.

True leaders have an undying belief in others abilities and potential. Some might say they wear rose colored glasses, but it is more than just a happy go lucky faith. Rather it is the ability to treat others with confidence in what they can achieve.

True leaders are more than just sold on the idea, they are personally invested in the "cause". This can be a product, business, religion, political view or movement. Their investment is personal and emotional which causes others to respond. Some get on board and others become antagonized.

True leaders believe in themselves. They may or may not have all of the key attributes required for ultimate success, but their personal belief is sufficient to move them forward and motivate others. Truly, who would follow someone that doubted themselves? If anyone, not for long.

So if you are leading others or preparing to do so put trust them, really believe in what you are doing and have confidence in yourself.

Leadership Defined

I have seen several definitions of leadership, but they all seemed incomplete to me, so over the years I have developed my own definition which I think is the most comprehensive.



I have found leadership to be:

The ability to influence another through inspiration to do that which they would not do otherwise.