 | We All Need The Same Training |
| Leadership vs. Management |
| What Is Leadership? |
| Human Wants |
| Four Competencies Needed |
| Three Kinds Of Leaders |
| Primary Needs |
| Secondary Needs |
What Is Leadership—Are You A Leader?
Effectiveness is the only standard by which leaders should be judged. If you aspire to hold a position of appointed leadership, and if you intend to be effective, you need to answer two important questions. The first question is answered for you. The second question, you will have to answer yourself. The questions are:
- What is leadership?
- Are you a leader?
The First Question: What Is Leadership?
Leadership is defined as "Causing others to want what you are doing to accomplish the work of the organization."
Close examination should prove that this definition is all-inclusive if you are striving to meet the needs, goals, and mission of the institution—and if you aren't doing anything 
by word or deed that is contrary to the reasons for the existence of the organization. These assumptions can be made because of two words in this definition of leadership: want and causing.
Therefore, leaders should not and cannot expect to cause others to want what they are doing if their actions are self-serving and not in the best interest of customers and the success of the organization. When leadership efforts are not in agreement with the reason for the existence of the institution, leadership efforts will not be accepted. They may not even be tolerated.
Want Is The Key Word
The key word in this definition of leadership is want. This word makes both leading and being led a rewarding experience. The word want automatically excludes such leadership practices as being mean, hard-nosed, dictatorial, self-centered, obstinate, belligerent, or protecting the status quo. It means if you are management-centered rather than customer-centered, you will not cause people to want your leadership. Why? Because those being led will never come to a point of wanting what you are doing as a leader when these leadership characteristics are present.
Without the word want, you could easily be misled by or misinterpret the intent of the word causing. Without the word want, the powerful and necessary word causing could imply pressure, force, coercion, intimidation, or even threats. However, the word want eliminates all of these negative possibilities in leadership practices. Want is an important word to leaders. It's a word that one aspiring to lead other human beings to a higher level of performance cannot forget. Without this one word, traits such as caring, concern, kindness, and consideration might not be included in either leadership attitudes or practices. It is essential to realize that this definition of leadership is one that you need very much to live by and adopt. The definition is one that those you lead will need to live by too. After all, application of the definition ensures that both leading and being led will be satisfying, rewarding, productive, and effective experiences—personally and professionally.
Much of the despair and failure associated with leading is the product of being unprepared to cause others to want your leadership. 
Unfortunately, when you learn how to do any job in many organizations, leadership is not usually a part of the curriculum. As a result, you may have to learn to lead by gut instincts, observing others, and by trial and error. When such is the case, you usually falter a lot—and you hurt a lot. Worse, you may hurt those you lead a lot. Certainly, trial and error is not the way for any professional to learn. It's not the way for a doctor to learn. It's not the way for a lawyer, an accountant, or an architect to learn. It's not the way for any leader to learn. The toll on the leader and follower alike is too harsh and too destructive, and results in too much ineffectiveness.
Too, you need to be aware that it's not difficult to take leadership away from a leader. A few employees can quickly take leadership influence away from a department head. Likewise, a few department heads can take the leadership away from a boss. And one board member can negate the leadership of the president. Make no mistake: You will lose your leadership when you lack the philosophical foundations as well as the professional knowledge, skills, and insights to cause others to want your leadership. Therefore, not trying to cause others to want what you are doing can make leading ineffective—and make you pay a heavy price for each mistake. You may still be paying for ones you made years ago. Thankfully, it is never too late to begin anew.
The Second Question: Are You A Leader?
Only you can answer the question: Are you a leader? When answering this question, you must recognize 
some considerations and deal with them honestly and objectively. For instance, the probability exists that you got to be the leader because you were a good doer. You did a job well. But just because you were a good doer does not necessarily mean you are now a good leader. In fact, everything you did to find success as a doer can work against your success in being a good leader.
Leadership requires different abilities—in attitudes and skills. Unless the doer position is dropped and the leadership function is assumed, you can operate in wrong ways and go in wrong directions. This point cannot be stressed too much because too many leaders work very hard in their job in the same ways they did as a doer—while not doing the job they need to do as a leader. They were such good doers that they can't be anything else. They can't let go. They can't delegate. They can't give up power. And they can't teach others to do. They can only do themselves. They are super doers, but they aren't super leaders.
Overcoming The Doer Mentality
To reach the highest levels of leadership effectiveness, you must adopt three attitudes to overcome the "doer mentality." First, you must think in terms of people and work and adopt a willingness to lead and teach everyone within the realm of your appointed leadership. Second, you must believe in the ability of each person being led. That means believing that there is a gift, a talent, and a genius within each employee that can be used to advantage. It means believing all employees can learn and produce. It means believing they can all be successful, and just as there is a vast untapped potential among employees, there is a vast untapped potential among suppliers and everyone who serves customers and the organization. Third, you must resolve to teach—and make sure the entire organization gets taught. And this teaching must include both the attitudes and skills employees need to be successful in your organization.
The fundamental leadership problem is that many leaders do not have the will or the skill to tap the talents of those being led, nor do they have the will and the skill to teach those they lead. Paradoxically, in your own heart, you know that potential lies within every person in the organization. The potential of every person in an organization is often dramatically underestimated. As a consequence, the expectations held for employee productivity are often far too low. If you intend to be a successful leader in a successful company in the future, this condition must change. You must look at the fundamental beliefs you have about people. You must consider the expectations you are capable of having, know what you must teach, and teach continually. None of your leadership approaches or strategies will mean very much if you don't believe in people and aren't able to hold high expectations for them.