Legitimate Leadership

ByDavid

Are you a boss or a leader?

Do you inspire action or only generate compliance?

I experienced a revealing moment recently that captures the difference between being a boss and being a leader.

During a mentoring session, one of my students was frustrated about her team project:

“Where I work, I manage a team of 10 people and they do what I say. Here, nobody does what I tell them to do.”

“What do you tell them to do?” I asked.

“I tell them to do their jobs!”

That’s when it clicked. She wasn’t facing a compliance problem. She was experiencing the difference between positional authority and earned leadership.

In a workplace hierarchy, titles come with what’s called “legitimate power.” Legitimate, in that people follow because they must.

In collaborative environments like classrooms or volunteer projects, people follow because they’re inspired to.

True leadership isn’t about making people do things. It’s about creating an environment where people want to contribute.

This student was used to being The Boss, but hadn’t yet developed leadership skills that work without organizational authority backing them up.

The most effective leaders can inspire action regardless of their title or position. They:

  • Lead by example rather than directive
  • Focus on the “why” before the “what”
  • Build relationships based on mutual respect
  • Recognize and leverage individual strengths
  • Create shared ownership of outcomes

As we wrap up another semester of impressive student projects, I’m reminded that leadership isn’t determined by how many people report to you. Iy’s measured by how many people are inspired by you.

Don’t Sabotage Your Leadership.

What do you think?

See you tomorrow!

#LeadershipLessons #TeamDynamics #InfluenceWithoutAuthority #PersonalDevelopment #WorkplaceWisdom