What Is Leadership Anyways

Here is more than enough truth to perhaps modify if you remind yourself of a few of these

What is leadership, and how do some people have the natural flair of leading teams while others cannot? These questions have intrigued scientists, philosophers and thinkers since time immemorial. Wild dogs hunt in packs, and that makes them one of the most feared predators in the wild expanse of Africa. While these dogs, individually, are no match to the strength of lions, as a pack they have known to displace and even kill lions. And the answer to the puzzle is their team skills and more importantly, leadership skills. These wild dogs are lead by fierce leaders and as a pack they pack quite a punch.

In the human society, strength of the human intellect can be leveraged only if we human beings work in a team and are lead by a leader. The question that pops up in our mind is- what exactly leadership is and who can be termed as a leader. Academicians have found out methods in this madness and have come up with numerous theories that define leadership. Transactional theory, participative theory, situational theory, great men theory, relationship theory- the list of text book models runs long. However, as a commoner, we have our own understanding of leadership.

What is leadership? Ask someone from the armed forces and you will get this simple answer: leadership is the quality that can drive a team of foot soldiers to the extent where they can kill and die for their country and for their leader. Where as, if you pose the question to a corporate warrior the answer will be substantially different. For the corporate executive leadership is all about understanding team dynamics, the ability to bring out the best from a team member and take collective decisions. On the same lines, political leadership involves a different mindset and attributes.

However, if someone scans through the lives of great leaders, it becomes quite apparent that leaders are made and not born. In other words, leadership is a set of skills and attributed that can be developed and cultured by a person through self discipline and a keen sense of observation. The greatest of the scientists had poor records as students, and the greatest of the leaders were non descript commoners when they were young. It is only through self improvement and continual learning that someone elevates him/herself from a common team member to the hallowed podium of the revered leaders.

At the end of the day, the gist of effective leadership is the ability to understand how team members think. If a leader knows and understands the problems faced, aspirations nurtured and dreams harbored by team members, leading and motivating the team becomes all the more easier. In this pursuit of effective leadership, communication is a tool that is absolutely critical. And Napoleon, the great leader and General, aptly put it- a leader is a dealer in hope. Dreaming, and sharing that dream in it’s entirety with your team members is the answer to the question- what is leadership.