Leadership Thought: Are You Leading or Only Taking a Walk?

Dear Friends, 

John Maxwell writes, "the true measure of leadership is influence-nothing more, nothing less. True leadership cannot be appointed, awarded, or assigned. It comes only through influence. Leadership is different from management. Managers can maintain the direction of an organization, but they can't change it. To move people in a new direction, you need influence.

“Many people think a position makes a leader, but just because a person may have a title, it doesn’t make him a leader, for as Stanley Huffty affirms, ‘It is not the position that makes the leader; it is the leader that makes the position.’”

Bill Hybels who for many years pastored Willow Creek Community Church, a mega church outside of Chicago, says that “the church is the most leadership intensive enterprise in society.” He goes on to point out how “positional leadership does not work in volunteer organizations like the church where the one in charge has little leverage, other than a title. If a leader has no leverage or influence, then he will be ineffective. In organizations like, the military you have leverage or in business you have leverage because you control salary, benefits, and perks. Most followers are pretty cooperative when their livelihood is at stake. Followers and voluntary organizations cannot be forced to get on board. If the leader has no influence with them then they won't follow."

“In voluntary organizations you see leadership in the purest sense. Leaders have only their influence to aid them. If you want to find out if people are capable of leading, send them out to volunteer their time in the community with Red Cross, the United Way, or the church and you will quickly find out if they really have influence and leadership ability.”

One of my favorite quotes is the Chinese proverb that states, "He who thinks he leads, but has no followers is only taking walk.”

Yours in faith and friendship,

Tom

The above information is taken and quoted from notes I recorded  from The Complete 101 Maxwell Collection, (What Every Leader Needs to Know) by John Maxwell pp. 193-199.