The Function Of Leadership

Leadership is often misunderstood as having authority over other people. A job title, a position of responsibility or the ability to make decisions can make someone a manager, but none of these things automatically make them a leader. Leadership is about influence.

A good leader creates the conditions for other people to do their best work. That means providing direction without controlling every move, setting standards without creating fear and making decisions while accepting responsibility for the consequences.

Perhaps the most important part of leadership is understanding that people are not machines. They bring ideas, ambitions, frustrations, experience and uncertainty with them. If you want people to contribute, you have to give them a reason to care about what they are contributing to. That begins with trust.

People need to know what is expected of them, but they also need enough freedom to think for themselves. A leader who insists on having every answer can create a team that waits for instructions. A leader who encourages people to think can create a team capable of solving problems without being told what to do. Leadership also means accepting that you will get things wrong.

The strongest leaders are not those who pretend to know everything. They are prepared to listen, admit mistakes and change their minds when the evidence tells them they should.

Your role as a leader is not to make yourself indispensable. It is to help the people around you become more capable, confident and willing to take responsibility. Leadership is not about standing above people. It is about creating the conditions in which people can rise.