What Is Leadership?

What is leadership? Leadership is having the ability to give guidance to those that will follow. Those that follow will help to complete the mission. Leadership is an immature science and the body of knowledge in the field has developed through a series of fits and starts. Leadership is a soft science, just as anthropology, sociology and psychology. It can not be proven exactly what it is. Leadership is an art, the skillful application of leadership behaviors beyond techniques is much the same as the skillful application of brushstrokes by a master painter. Leadership is both rational and emotional. It involves both sides of human experience. It includes actions and influences based on reason and logic as well those based on inspiration and passion. Leadership is a social process shared among all members of a group. Leadership development comes through experience. We all learn from our different experiences. Whether positive or negative, they are our tools for growth and development. What is management? Management is a position of authority. Management says what need to get done and supplies the material to get it done. Management tends to be the more educated than the experienced. Managers can be trained to hold a position. Management is a position of leadership. Can leadership and management be the same? Leadership and management are not the same. Anyone can be a manager and not have any followers. Being able to manage is knowing the aspects of a mission. A leader knows the aspects, has the knowledge and the skills to accomplish the mission. But leadership and management work hand in hand with each other. The management sets the stage and the leadership makes it happen. Leadership is a human relationship process. No scientific method can be used for testing leadership. Leadership is based on human factors and no two humans are the same. Managers are not only interested in status quo, but also production, expansion and growth. Management was a system to control machines. Leadership can never be controlled. Where one sits in life determines what you see. To be a good manager one must look at views from different perspectives. As situations change, leadership relations change. Leadership cannot be transactional. It can only work if both parties keep their agreements. A class survey was held to compare leaders to managers. The overall opinion was that they are similar in many ways. A leader and a manager can be one in the same. The difference between a leader and a manager is that a manager directs and a leader motivates. Leaders make the rules. Managers enforce the rules. Leaders make the policies. Managers enforce the policies. When both are doing their jobs, they are performing their leadership roles. Leaders inspire and managers are effective. Leaders innovate. Managers administer. Leaders look at situations in a long-term view. Managers look at situations in a short-term view. Leaders ask what and why. Managers ask how and when. Managers accept the status quo. Leaders challenge the status quo. Managers do things right. Leaders do the right things. Leadership is a process that includes managers. If you look at leadership, you will see good management at work. Leadership and management work hand in hand with one another. They both need support from each process in order to achieve its’ goals. Leadership is not just based on the leader. In assessing leadership you must look at the leader the follower and the situation. One must do an assessment of the leader. Assess the reaction of what you expect from the follower. Look at the situation and environment that surrounds the whole concept. A leader is a servant to his followers. The followers must also serve the leader. Both must serve their common goal. Leaders have nothing to do with leadership. Leadership is 100% service and 100% partnership. To maintain good leadership, one must keep good relationship between leaders and followers. Leadership and follower-ship are both like a two way street. You must give respect both ways in order to have good relations. Followers will follow someone they respect, just as leaders like to lead someone who they respect. There are different types of followers. They are alienated followers, conformist followers, pragmatist followers and exemplary followers. The alienated followers are the ones that are irritants, who like to always point