Using the Strength of Leadership
This is a post-show note for the radio segment, “Power Push: Using the Strength of Leadership.” You can check out other radio broadcasts I host at http://www.blogtalkradio.com/art-of-biz.
We focused on the role of leadership in business on November 5, 2009. In research done by Dr. Bruce Winston and Kathleen Patterson, more than 90 variables of leadership were identified. That can make the task of understanding, much less acting upon, leadership complex. However, the correct working definition of leadership upon which an entrepreneur or organization acts makes all the difference, particularly during challenging times.
Our conversation started with a definition of leadership by Dr. Myles Munroe, “Leadership is the capacity to influence others through inspiration motivated by passion, generated by vision, produced by a conviction, ignited by a purpose.” Brett Johnson, developer of the LEMON Leadership model, says this is a picture of the visionary leader. But, he adds, leaders also allocate resources and build structures in which people can be successful.
Brett agrees that everyone is a leader in space unique to them. This fits well with the leadership paradigm proposed by Charles Manz. First, a person learns to lead him or herself (self-leadership). Second, a person becomes a leader of others. Third, a person helps others become leaders (super leadership).
In this paradigm, our organizations and society is filled with leaders. Some ask the question, but there have to be followers right? True. A person leads other in his or her unique space while following others in their unique spaces. As Brett points out, this is a characteristic of the shift from hierarchical (control-centered) organizations to networked (authority-centered) organizations.
Brett brings a new perspective with the concept of leadership identity. Leadership identity is a blueprint, or DNA, of who you are as a leader. As with your psychological identity, it is not something that can be changed. However, they both can be discovered as you learn more about who you were designed to be.
In the LEMON Leadership model, a person’s leadership identity can be characterized in five leadership types – Luminary, Entrepreneur, Manager, Organizer and Networker. Brett says that people have a primary and secondary LEMON leadership type. He also found a leader resorts to the strengths of his or her primary LEMON leadership type during the best times, but resorts to the weaknesses of his or her secondary LEMON leadership type during the worst times.
With all the insights we discussed, it still comes back to the question how does leadership make a difference in my business? Simply, leaders are people who make things happen. Brian Klemmer describes these type of people as “creators, go-getters and aggressive producers in society.” Sounds like the entrepreneur, right? Because you are one of these people, you can transform a failing business into a successful one.
But…And a BIG but. Klemmer points out that these individuals often lack ethics. On the show, Brett and I looked at the current economic crisis in the leadership context – greed overrode ethics. Leadership in business and society is not about how much you can get for yourself, but how much you can get for others and yourself in a positive, sustainable manner. It’s about creating win-win situations.
So, when we speak of the “rise of the entrepreneur,” we are not only speaking about the potential of the entrepreneur to create monetary prosperity but also to address society’s issues – poverty, illness, crime.
There was so much more that we discussed on the show. Take the time to listen. (http://www.blogtalkradio.com/art-of-biz/2009/11/05/Power-Push-Utilize-Your-Strengths).
If you would like to learn more about the LEMON Leadership model, you can purchase the book at Amazon. To contact Brett Johnson, visit The Institute’s website (http://www.inst.net).
And don’t forget to stay connected with The Art of Making Business Happen community at http://artofbiz.ning.com and http://www.blogtalkradio.com/art-of-biz. You can even join the community.
Tags: business, concept, economic, ICT, in, insight, leadership, network, networker, new, on, radio, society, the, vision, visionary
