Mark Sanborn, CSP, CPAE
President, Sanborn Associates

One of the hottest topics of interest for managers today is leadership. Given the increasing demands of employees, employers and shareholders, managers want to know how to develop the skills that will enable them to cope--and take them to the next level in their professional success. But before you can do it, you've got to be able to define it.

What is your favorite definition for the word leadership?

There seems to be no end to the making of definitions. But although most definitions tell us what leadership looks like, they don't give us many clues on how to go about doing it.

Seldom, however, have I seen a definition that takes into account the difference between personal and organizational leadership. Most definitions tend to focus on those who lead others. "Leaders are those who get followed" is an obvious definition. Occasionally and unfortunately, however, some very bad leaders get followed by some very foolish people.

One of my favorite definitions comes from Bill Holekamp, who manages the southern California sales region for Enterprise Rent-A-Car. Bill once told me, "A leader is someone who understands who their people work for--themselves--and gives them stuff." Today, employees are committed first and foremost to themselves; in the age of employment uncertainty, organizational loyalty is at low tide. But by recognizing that, leaders can turn that into an advantage. They can provide the "stuff"--skills training, education, support, encouragement, recognition and reward--that allow employees to meet their personal needs and objectives. The employee, in return, is more productive, happier and committed at that organization than they would be elsewhere. "Stuff" is a weighty concept for leaders.

I'll throw my definition into the hopper. Leadership is the ability to help people and organizations surpass themselves.

Organizational leadership can best be understood by contrasting it with management. The original root word that became the English word for management meant to handle. In a world that never changes, management is enough: you handle things and maintain the status quo.

The root to the word leadership meant to go. Leaders, therefore, have the ability to help people and organizations go from where they are to where they could or should be. Leadership is about change, growth and movement.

Here's the acid test or organizational leadership: if you were stripped of your title as well as any ability to reward or punish the people who work for you, could you still get results with them? Managers have power over people; leaders have power with people. That is a significant difference! Management is a function of position, while leadership is a function of skill.

Some of the most effective leaders I meet and observe in my work have no formal title. They aren't "managers" in the traditional sense, but they are leaders in the classic sense. They get things done, not as lone rangers, but through networking, interacting with and mobilizing others both within and outside their organizations.

One of the reasons that the 90's are such an exciting time is because literally anyone can lead and almost everybody has some opportunity to lead. We can provide leadership in our interactions with our customers, coworkers, vendors, business allies, community organizations, government agencies and even social contacts. Teamwork and networking have formal the social context for an even more powerful informal leader to emerge and influence.

Before anyone can lead others, however, they must first master self. Personal leadership, therefore, is the ability to surpass yourself--your previous performance and accomplishments. It's about getting better at what you do no matter how good you become. Complacency is the enemy of leadership, whether organizational or personal.

As a reader of The Leading Edge, I assume you are interested in becoming the best at what you do--and keep getting better. In the issues ahead, I'll provide you with ideas, suggestions, techniques and tools for doing just that.

Leading Edge Lesson: Make positive change and growth--in yourself and others--your primary leadership objective. First master self, then learn the skills of achieving power with people. As an exercise, write your own personal definition of leadership. How is it similar to the definitions cited above? How is it different?

Mark Sanborn, CSP, CPAE works with organizations that want to reach the next level and individuals who want to perform at their best. He speaks on and is published in leadership, customer service, mastering change and teambuilding. For more information about his presentations, books, audios or videos, contact him.

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