"Position Does Not Always Equal Leadership"

As I sit here in my house on this final Saturday in February, my thoughts are on becoming a better leader and a stronger team builder. I am honored to lead a talented, fantastic team of leaders, managers and consultants within my company and I am honored to serve them each and every day.

Also, I serve on a ministerial team in my home church under the direction of my Pastor, Daniel Garlitz. I have been with my pastor for 20 years and I have learned much from his influence and gleaned from his wisdom and experience. I thank God for his influence in my life.

One thing that I have learned is that position does not always equal leadership. Just because one ascends into a "position" or gets chosen for a certain "office" does not mean that they automatically become a good leader or team builder. It takes will, skill and knowledge for one to become the best leader that they can be.

The thing to remember in the business world is that having a position makes you a "boss" but not necessarily a "leader". There are vast differences between bosses and leaders and even managers and leaders. Leaders set goals and visions and then inact a strategy to accomplish those goals. Leaders possess the ability to inspire their team to greatness regardless of what obstacles may stand in their way.

Some well-noted differences between managers and leaders:

- Managers maintain, leaders develop
- Managers rely on control, leaders inspire trust
- Managers imitate, leaders originate
- Managers accept the status-quo, leaders challenge it
- Managers do things right, leaders do the right things
- Managers administrate, leaders innovate
- Managers manage things, leaders lead people

Of course, great companies have both managers and leaders that operate within their organization. The key is, when promoted to a "position" of any kind, remember that you will be considerably more successful if you serve your team and not rule your team!

Some people allow "position" to inflate their ego and they turn into a power hungry, power flaunting dictator. You may get the job done through fear but you will have difficulty developing others to do your job. Remember, there is no success without a successor.

As a leader, my goal is to get people to commit and not simply comply. I can gain compliance through policies if I desire too, but it is so much more powerful if I can get people to commit because they want too! This one thing is true, if you help your people get what they want, they will help you get what you want.

In conclusion, allow me to say that leadership is a journey. It is a journey of learning how to use your influence to motivate and inspire others to reach their potential. It is about learning your team and finding the ways to get them to commit and not just comply.

If you are a person of position, be a good leader! Serve your team and seek to make them better than you! Remove distractions that may cause frustration and give your team the tools they need to be successful. Dont micromanage your team members, give them room to be creative and even make their own mistakes.

Your team members should respect you but not be intimidated to approach you if the need arises. Encourage open communication and dont "destroy" your team members that may have a different viewpoint. You are not "all-knowing" and some respectful dialogue may actually do you some good.

Deal with problems directly and dont sweep items under the rug. You can only sweep items under the rug so long before you will begin to trip over it! Remember, anything you ignore, you condone. Always seek to improve your team and challenge them to reach their potential. Give feedback often and dont be afraid to coach your team members in the areas where they have opportunity.

Anyway, I need to go - just remember, position does not always equal leadership!


Pascal