What is Leadership?

I like this definition of leadership from Greg Dess: "Leadership is the process of transforming organizations from what they are to what the leader would have them become. This implies dissatisfaction with the status quo, a vision of what should be, and a process for bringing about change."

Based on this definition, are you a leader? How about the managers, directors and executives in your company? Are they exercising leadership, or simply maintaining the status quo?

Notice that all three aspects of this definition are necessary for good leadership. If you are satisfied with the way things are and can't see any way to improve, there's nothing to lead people towards. Hence, dissatisfaction is necessary because it points out the problem. I guarantee that your life is not perfect, and your workplace includes areas of friction where change would be beneficial. If you want to increase your leadership skills, begin to be intentional about seeking out friction areas. Watch the people and processes around you for areas of improvement and you will soon find them. Ask questions. "What if I..." "How could we..." "Why aren't we..." The squeaky wheel will become apparent and you will have the opportunity to lead others in applying the grease.

But dissatisfaction alone is not sufficient. I've worked with a lot of people who are dissatisfied with the way things are, but have no vision for what could be. They complain to their peers, grumble to their friends and family about how bad they have it, and become jaded and sarcastic about almost all aspects of life. But they have no idea what to replace the status quo with. 

If that describes you, the road to health involves intentionally asking yourself "What makes me angry, frustrated, or annoyed about this situation?" "What do I really want?" "Why am I here, instead of somewhere else?" Many people stick around too long in an unhealthy situation because they have never allowed themselves to give an honest answer to these questions. Leadership starts with yourself, and if you are so dissatisfied that it leaves you bitter and jaded, it may be time for a drastic change of scenery. Find a new job, go worship at a different church, get a new group of friends. Wherever that bitterness is coming from, it will keep you in a downward spiral until you either change the situation, or give yourself the freedom to get out. 

People who have dissatisfaction and a vision don't become jaded because they have hope. That vision for what "could be" is one of the greatest energizers available to humankind. It provides direction and a goal to strive towards. A vision can become a rallying point for friends, coworkers, and even strangers. Think of all the people who showed up in Washington D.C. for the women's march in January, 2017, or all of the disenchanted individuals who camped in public spaces across the United States during the Occupy movement. Dissatisfaction provided the impetus, and a vision was born for what could be. But what was the result of these movements? It's not completely clear.

While publicity was immense for the Women's March and Occupy, both lacked a process for achieving change. As a result, whatever net effect these movements had are minimal compared to what could have happened if stronger leadership had been in place. 

What applies to these large movements also applies to much smaller situations, including your own circumstances. If you have both dissatisfaction and a vision, use that energy to create a process. Write down a plan. Set goals and objectives that are measurable (measurable means they are not abstract; you could either achieve them, or fail to achieve them). Now you are exercising leadership, as you have not only cast a vision, you have also created a road map and have started down it with everyone else who was captured by your vision.