Position vs. Leadership By Dr. Dick Wynn Being the leader doesn t make you one. Many people who have been elected or appointed to a leadership position immediately assume that they are now leaders. Many characteristics of a good leader are lacking in people who function in leadership roles. The fundamental purpose of a leader is not to control but to get out of the way, encouraging people to take initiative and risk, supporting them when they fall.
Leadership possesses significant overtones.
One of those is change. While change tends to highlight the need for leadership, it is also true that an effective leader is likely to create change before others see the need. A true leader leads by example, inspires confidence, generates genuine enthusiasm and commitment in others for the sake of the organization s mission. You can be appointed a manager, it has been said, but you are not a leader until your appointment is ratified in the hearts and minds of those who work with you. The paths of management development and leadership development will run together for most of the career journey, especially in the middle stages.