Leadership, part II

Looking at the examples of leaders provided in the previous entry seems to make the definition of leadership even more confusing.  Hitler as a leader? In the same category as Mother Teresa?  Yes. and No.

Both "good" and "bad" leaders are leaders in the sense that they effect change on some level.  In Hitler's case, it was on a massive, global level impacting hundreds of thousands of individuals either directly or in the efforts to stop him.  By all accounts he was charismatic, intelligent, talented, and personable.  And while we will discuss toxic leaders in another entry, would not necessarily qualify as a toxic leader.  Apparently, he was an effective leader, able to motivate an entire generation and the next one.  In this case, his goals were suspect and in a historical perspective - bad.

Mother Teresa, on the other hand, sought neither fame nor fortune.  She selflessly gave of herself, her efforts, her time to provide for others.  She raised no army. She had few if any direct followers.  She was not known to be charismatic or particularly intelligent (in this regard, I offer no insult, merely indicating that of the traits she is known for, no one discusses her intelligence). She is known to be humble, enduring, giving, selfless, kind, faithful.

So why are both leaders?  Is leadership linked to quality of one's goals, results, position, followers, or what? Yes.  Leadership is one of those nebulous concepts that defeats decades of efforts to nail it down, but simultaneously everyone knows what leadership is.  The trouble comes when one wants to be a leader and is looking for that recipe of traits to have or things to do.  Those that are natural leaders may not ever engage in this effort, but they also may not agree that they are leaders. This depends on how they qualify as leaders.  Mother Teresa would probably never have stated she was a leader. Hitler proclaimed it to the world.

Some leaders may not ever realize it, until one day they look behind them and see a river of followers.

What about those who want to be leaders? Who want that recipe to follow?  We'll address this next time.