You Don't Need a Title to Be
a Leader
Presenters:
John H. Lee, Program Manager
Darwin K. Eldridge, Supervisory IRA
42nd ABMTS
InterContinental Hotel
New Orleans, LA
August, 2011
Objectives of the Session
• At the end of this learning experience, you
should know,
– What is Leadership?
– The Leadership Traits Theory and the Most
Common Leadership Traits, and
– The Future of Leadership.
What is Leadership?
• It is something you do—the act of leading.
• It is the ability to lead—application of a
skill.
• The ability to influence others to achieve a
goal; inspire others to succeed.
• It is not bestowed upon you because you
hold a position or comes because you hold
a certain position.
Definition of Leadership
Leadership has been written as the “process
of social influence in which one person
can enlist the aid and support of others in
the accomplishment of a common
task.”
~Wikipedia
A Provocative Thought
Influence is something very hard to
measure, but very vital in getting
almost anything done.
~Mick Yates
Leadership vs. Management
Question
What is the difference between Leadership
and Management?
Leadership vs. Management
• Management is a subset of Leadership
• A Leader knows where to go; a Manager
knows how to get there.
• To be an effective leader, one must have
be able to plan and execute (management
skills) along with vision, goal, and a sense
of purpose (leadership skills). Thus, one
must combine management skills with
leadership skills.
Leadership vs. Management
• A person can be a manager but not necessarily
be a leader. They can plan and execute but they
cannot inspire others to be the best they can be
through a shared vision, goal, and purpose.
(Some leaders have the vision; they just don’t
know how to get the vision to a point of reality.)
• Managers tend to quantify, while Leaders tend to
qualify! Managers define and measure success
while Leaders develop success.
A Provocative Thought
Don’t confuse leadership with
management. Though a manager can
keep an operation running, only an
influential leader can motivate people
to accomplish those changes that meet
their real needs. I'm not putting
managers down; the world needs good
managers. Management, though, is not
leadership. ~John Haggai
Leading on Purpose
• Making decisions in a strategic manner
that makes it easier for other to follow.
• Examine Each Action From a
Leadership Perspective
• Leaders Shouldn’t Make Promises they
Can't Keep
Leading on Purpose
• Long-Term Leadership (how today's
actions can affect long-term reputation)
• Leaders Should Know What to Do
• Leading in a Specific Direction
• Leaders Create Leaders
Leading on Purpose Summary
•
•
•
•
It is strategic decision making.
It is not easy, takes effort, and focus.
You must practice what you preach.
You can earn respect and leadership
influence with others.
• Practice of these principles makes a true
leader.
The Leadership Trait Theory
Theory:
The idea that most people are born with
certain leadership traits or qualities.
The Leadership Trait Theory
• The theory is incorrect.
• One has to associate the character traits
with leadership.
• People can learn to be good leaders just
as they can change any other character
flaw or expertise.
• Just as people can learn bad traits/habits,
they can learn good leadership
traits/characteristics.
Most Common Leadership Traits
•
•
•
•
•
Honest
Forward-Looking
Competent
Inspiring
Intelligent
– These traits have to be demonstrated.
– People need to see these traits in your actions.
A Provocative Thought
Self-control comes down to successful
leadership of your own character.
~John Haggai
Honesty as a Leadership Trait
• No one is thought to be honest due to
recent scandals.
• You are automatically labeled as dishonest
when you enter Leadership roles.
• Remember: If you make a mistake, admit
to it. It will increase your Leadership
Influence substantially.
A Provocative Thought
Leaders without vision are like guides
without a map. Though they may come
across as strong, confident, and
independent, in reality they are not
influencers but "influencees."
~John Haggai
Forward-Looking as a Leadership
Trait
• You must have a vision.
• A stagnant leader suffers from a lack of
vision and unwillingness or fear to share
the vision.
• A visionless leader spends too much time
in the present.
• A strong leader must be willing to take
risks and make mistakes.
Competency as a Leadership
Trait
• People want to follow a competent leader.
• Leaders have to demonstrate
competence.
• Competent Leaders celebrate the success
of the team, not themselves.
Pitfalls of Competence
• Too much can appear as arrogance.
• Can draw too much attention to self and
not enough to others.
• Don’t minimize other’s contributions and
appear to be taking credit for other’s work.
A Provocative Thought
Few things, though, will damage your
reputation more than letting other
people feel small.
~John Haggai
Inspiration as a Leadership Trait
• People want to be inspired.
• People will follow an inspiring leader who
may not have any other qualities.
• Inspiring people means showing them the
big picture and how they fit into its
achievement.
• Tell emotional, illustrative stories.
• Express your vision passionately.
Intelligence as Leadership Trait
• Intelligence can be developed.
• It requires a long-term commitment to
formal and informal learning.
• Your behavior and attitude can determine
people’s perception of your intelligence.
• Humility is a trait found in the intelligent.
A Provocative Thought
Humility is one of those things that can
help everything else fall into place.
~Paul Hebert
The Intelligent Leader
• Gently leads people toward understanding
• Focuses on helping others learn rather
than demonstrating your smarts.
• Asks questions so others can demonstrate
their intelligence.
• Exhibits the Leadership Traits all the time!
A Provocative Thought
Innovation distinguishes between a
leader and a follower.
~Steve Jobs
The Future of Leadership
• Virtual Contact Leadership
– Technology enables communication
anywhere.
– Need for greater communication skills.
– Leaders of the future must understand the
various communication media and the correct
culture for the media.
The Future of Leadership
• Leadership Outside the Organization
– Leaders must understand the overall
organization.
– Well-rounded, well-grounded leaders will be in
high demand across functional boundaries.
The Future of Leadership
• The Difficulty of Earning Leadership Trust
– Position and title do not develop trust.
– Assessments of trust must be made.
– Core Leadership Skills are the same.
– Preparation today is vital to the future.
SUMMARY
•
•
•
•
•
Leadership is the act of LEADING.
Leaders can be made.
Leaders display certain common traits.
Leaders embrace innovation.
You don’t have to have a title to be a
leader.
Reference Pages
• WWW.Leadership501.com
• The 21 Indispensable Qualities of A
Leader by John C Maxwell
• 365 Things Every Successful Leader
Should Know by John Edmund Haggai
Questions