Everyone is a leader; Intentional Leader’s impact creates significance in others.
As a child, I loved going to the lake, picking up a stone and skipping it across the water. I would do it for hours and count how many times the stone impacted the lake. Each skip of the stone created ripples, spreading across the water without end.
What a word picture!
With each impact on the quiet lake created influence on the entire surface. Great leadership is like a stone creating significance with each person in its path. The influence of a stone has great impact as the influence of great leadership has great significance.
What is leadership?
An official definition of leadership is “the action of leading a group of people or an organization”.
“Leadership is Influence”. — John Maxwell
The picture of great leadership is different for everyone. John Maxwell sums it up: “Leadership is Influence”. Effective leadership is not always positive to be effective. As with the stone’s ripple effect, many people are affected. Great leadership creates significance to influence others to promote positive impact in others. The ability to influence people is leadership. The question is not what effective leadership is but rather is how your influence affects everyone around you.
I have had the privilege of speaking to thousands of people in various environments. I focus on maximizing influence for maximum results. In my workshops and seminars, I have had high-level managers as well as first-day employees. Everyone in the room influences everyone around them as the stone influences the lake. The question is not whether they are an influence, but rather the level of impact of their influence. You are always an influence. You are always a leader of impact. Regardless of position, understanding the impact on others is vital.
How will you impact everyone around you?
A leader’s passion will ignite people’s interest.
As a fire will spread with the abundance of fuel, passion will spread and attract all those around. People react to emotion. Passion will spread like one match to another.
What is their level of excitement?
How passionate are they about what they are doing?
Passion is contagious. When you are around passionate people, you have a natural attraction in which people want to be apart. People are attracted to people who represent who they want to be.
A Leader’s ethics creates a baseline of clarity.
Just because something is legal does not make it right. A great leader recognizes that mediocrity is not the goal, excellence is the goal. Great leaders strive for clarity in communication, action, and thought.
How ethical are they in their decision making?
Do they consider the ethical ramifications?
An ethical standard is higher than a legal standard. An ethical leader will hold themselves to a higher standard.
A leader’s logic is a result of their preparation.
Logic is the content to which they approach a situation. Logic combined with experience is wisdom. A leader is intentional in how they prepare their actions and communication.
Are they competent in decision making?
Do they have the correct information before they make a conclusion?
Responding to a situation with a thought-out response requires more wisdom than a quick reaction to a circumstance.
A great leader will impact the people around them in all six areas.
- Leaders of impact focus on people around them, not on themselves. Leaders of impact are not arrogant, they are humble. Leaders of Impact will not repel when their authority is questioned but welcome the question with an open mind. Leaders of impact exhibit self-awareness on how they impact those around them.
- Leaders of impact are great communicators. They set a clear vision and goals for their team. They are consistent with keeping the team updated and are very approachable.
- Leaders of impact are people of high integrity. They always do what they say they will do. Everyone around them knows their integrity by their actions, not just words. They are accountable to those around them as well as hold others accountable to a high standard. They will often take more of their share of the blame and take less of their share of the credit.
- Leaders of impact support the team. They don’t blame those around them for inefficiencies, but rather teach, train, mentor, and coach to help others reach their maximum potential. They facilitate success in others through encouragement, praise, and development.
- Leaders of impact are committed to the team. They don’t dictate but empower. They don’t micro-manage but involve the wisdom of others. They don’t give everything but seek ideas. They are focused, engaged, and enthusiastic. They naturally inspire those around them by providing consistent praise and positive feedback.
- Leaders of impact have a positive mindset. They learn from their mistakes, not blame others. They challenge themselves first before they challenge the team. They are excited about the growth of the team. They believe true success is defined according to the impact they have on those around them.
Becoming a leader of impact starts with you. Everyone will be a person of influence but will everyone be a leader of impact? Leadership is influence. How you are measured in your life is the impact you have on others.
How will you impact the people around you today?
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