The Art of Leadership

What is Leadership?

We are more familiar with the world of existence than with the world of essence. The question "What is Leadership?" is nearly synonymous with "What should a Leader be?"

Leadership is the art of communicating vision. It is about the design of strategy. It is the establishment of objectives and marshaling of resources to realize these objectives. Leadership is about making difficult decisions that impact the lives of those you serve and those whom you serve.

Leadership is a process by which a person influences others to accomplish an objective and directs the organization in a way that makes it more organized and consistent. Leaders carry out this process by applying their leadership attributes, such as beliefs, values, ethics, character, knowledge and skills. Although your position as a manager, supervisor, etc. gives you the authority to accomplish certain tasks and objectives in the organization, this power does not make you a leader...it simply makes you the boss. Leadership differs in that it makes the followers want to achieve high goals, rather than simply bossing people around. Leadership is not magnetic personality that can just as well be a glib tongue. It is not "making friends and influencing people"—that is flattery. Leadership is lifting a person's vision to higher sights, the raising of a person's performance to a higher standard, the building of a personality beyond its normal limitations.

To inspire your workers into higher levels of teamwork, there are certain things you must be, know, and, do. These do not come naturally, but are acquired through continual work and study. Superior leaders are continually working and studying to improve their leadership skills; they are not resting on their laurels.

Business leaders must make difficult decisions on a constant basis. In making decisions, leaders must always determine what is in the best interest of superiors. Discipline “in the best interests of superiors” applies to all businesses, non profit service providers, and government agencies. Having held various leadership positions in the Hospitality industry business organizations for the past 10 years, I have often been faced with deciding which service to fund, program to cut, and employees no longer add value. Absent a clear mind, no such decisions could be made correctly.

Leaders who look to the work environment for their deepest friendships, glory, ego boosts, and love will not deliver. The leader who can control his or her “over-solicitude” and get his or her love at home will function with a clear mind and a solid heart.

“The very essence of a leadership is that you have to have a vision. It has to be a vision that you articulate clearly and willingly on every occasion.”