Saturday, March 28, 2009

Adrenalin Rush

Leaders do not push and pull people toward a goal. That is management. Leaders attract people to a vision. Followers are attracted by the leader’s passion and confidence in the vision. Followers are drawn to who the leader is and what the leader stands for. The leader cannot spark excitement in others if the leader is unexcited.

If you hope to lead, you need to care about something. There has to be something that excites you, energizes you, moves you. Want to be a leader? Start by discovering what sparks your excitement. What is it that gives you an adrenalin rush?

Saturday, March 07, 2009

The Origins of Leadership

A discussion on the new network site Learn To Lead at http://learntolead.ning.com (I invite you to join the network) prompted me to think about the origins of leadership. I hadn’t thought about this before. As I did begin to ponder the question of how leadership began, it occurred to me that perhaps it emerged from our animal origins. Animal societies are often headed by an alpha individual. This reminded me of something in an audio course published by the company The Modern Scholar. The course is Ideas That Shaped Mankind by Felip Fernandez-Armesto. I highly recommend the course. Fernandez-Armesto speaks of the evolution of leadership. He mentions that in non-human primate groups the alpha male imposed leadership through intimidation and violence. This is leading by physical power. With the emergence of priest-like figures, leading through the power of thought and imagination came on the scene. Here we have the appearance of charisma. A knowledge class arises. During the Ice Age, hereditary leadership develops.

This ties in with a chapter on the charismatic leader in a book by Garry Wills titled Certain Trumpets. In charismatic leadership authority derives from one person because of that individual's privileged position with God. The successors to this person derive their authority from their relationship with the charismatic individual. This is traditional leadership. When tradition weakens, authority is established by agreement and becomes legalistic leadership.

Why think about the origins of leadership? Donella H. Meadows in a new book entitled Thinking in Systems mentions that to understand a system we need to learn its history. I have written before of my view of leadership as a system. Knowing how leadership has evolved can aid our understanding of our current perceptions on leadership. Being aware of leadership’s past and present can stimulate our thinking about how to shape the future of leadership.

Tuesday, March 03, 2009

Join The Network

In one of the university leadership courses I teach, the students and I were exploring ways to break out beyond the classroom to extend our opportunities for learning how to become better leaders. As a result of that discussion, I have started an online network called Learn To Lead. I invite the readers of this blog to join us at http://learntolead.ning.com. The intent of the network is to create a forum where college students and lifelong learners may support each other in becoming better leaders. It is a place to share your questions, experiences, thoughts, and resources with fellow learners on the subject of leadership. It is also a way to help educate our young leaders. I invite you to join the journey.

Monday, March 02, 2009

Lessons Are Everywhere

Ever notice that once something enters into your awareness you see it everywhere. You decide on the model automobile you want to buy and you begin seeing numerous drivers on the road driving that same model. You purchase a new laptop computer and suddenly become conscious of how many others at the airport have the same brand.

My passion is leadership. As a result of my heightened awareness on the subject, I glean lessons about leadership from all aspects of life. That is why I enjoy books that open my eyes to how a seemingly unrelated subject can provide me with lessons about leadership. Such a book I have recently read is Leadership Texas Hold ‘Em Style by Andrew J. Harvey and Raymond E. Foster. The authors describe leadership lessons to be learned through the game of poker. I had fun learning something about the intricacies of card playing. What surprised me, though, was what can be learned about leadership from a game of cards. The authors do not belabor the analogy between cards and leadership. Instead, they use poker as a lead-in to the skills of leading. This book is no fluff piece. Both authors have had long careers in law enforcement and higher education. From their own leadership experiences and studies, they describe in detail the many skills required of leaders. What I found different about this book is that while many books describe what leaders need to do, in this book the authors explain how to do it. I recommend this book.

I also recommend you notice the leadership lessons all around you in the things important to you. I enjoy nature, drumming, cooking, exercising, reading. Each of these interests has taught me how to be a better leader. I have even incorporated these interests in my leadership work with students and clients. Allow the world to be your teacher. You will discover that lessons are everywhere.