Out of the many business-related topics to discuss, I believe leadership is one of the most difficult to address. Not for lack of trying – thousands and thousands of individuals and firms have researched and documented the various aspects of what we call leadership. Aristotle (died in 322 B.C.) lectured on leadership, which may give you an idea of how long this topic has been deliberated. But research on leadership really exploded in the 1900s, and in the last several decades, many well respected people have broken the topic of “leadership” down even further. Consider this - we now have numerous schools of thought on the subject, including the following:
· Transactional leadership
· Transformational leadership
· Democratic, autocratic, and bureaucratic leadership
· Charismatic leadership
· Servant leadership
These may be some of the most well-known styles, but there are many other aspects of leadership, and there are arguments in favor and against each of them. The purpose of this article is not to discuss which leadership style is best, but to point out how nuanced the topic is. Check out LinkedIn on any given day and you will find thousands of posts from people observing even the differences between management and leadership (as if these clarifications can solve their companies’ problems).
When it comes down to it, a leader is someone who gets the thing done. The thing, the goal, the objective, etc. Whatever was standing in the way, the leader is the person who moved it. The Batman to the Robins. How they did it, whether it was the best option, or whether it was even a moral option – these are all great questions, but my point is that any organization must have a leader in order to accomplish its mission. I'll be sure to expand on this subject in the future for those who want to learn more.
For now, my hope is that, as leaders, we are all giving serious thought to how our actions are influencing the people we support, and especially how we are impacting the next generation of leaders. I hope that leaders are aware of how their words and actions are perceived and the long-term consequences they produce, especially in a world where so many things are written and recorded.
Leaders, let us tenaciously pursue integrity and character first and foremost, so our impacts in our companies and communities can always be positive.
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