As a great leader of your own life, are you by default a great leader of others?
The four pillars of leadership
According to Vijay Eswaran’s article (https://www.entrepreneur.com/en-ae/leadership/power-with-purpose-the-four-pillars-of-leadership/378975), the Four Pillars of Leadership are ownership, empowerment, purpose and care.
Someone who is exemplary in the field of leadership of their own life can inspire and motivate others by default, especially in these times of social media where we can follow people across the world for inspiration to succeed, get fit, recover from illness, overcome adversity and find financial freedom. It is possible for someone to lead others by simply living their own lives or businesses well, and documenting it for others to see. But would this person naturally be a strong leader of others?
In short NO!
Leading yourself
You can be someone who is highly disciplined and hugely successful being a great leader within your own life. This person may have a strong EQ and be able to take ownership of situations, be resilient to criticism and be reflective to understand his/her part in situations. This person could naturally empower others and inspire them to take control of their own lives through their words, actions or dedication to a lifestyle. This person could be highly purpose-driven, setting and achieving goals on a regular basis, staying focused on the end result and enjoying the ups and downs of that journey. However, the final pillar is where this person will fail in becoming a good leader of others; care.
Communication, care and community
For me, relationships are the key to everything in life and they hold the key to leading others because the way you communicate (verbally and non-verbally) impacts how people view you, how they feel and how they work. If you are highly successful in any personal or professional area of life, dedicated to a conducive lifestyle or goal-driven, it is possible to motivate and empower others by your actions from afar. However, if you are looking to truly empower other people, that comes from caring about them, building relationships with them, supporting them, communicating with them, creating a culture of support and building a community to nurture them.
True leadership is said to be centred around others over ego; where your leadership lifts up others, helps them over obstacles and helps them with feedback, setbacks and new challenges. It is about celebrating success together, developing them further to achieve their own goals, knowing them well enough to know what is stressful to them or simply a limiting belief. It is about challenging them and, as a result, find their own version of leadership for themselves. It is about being a listening ear when things go wrong, or a shoulder to cry on during a crisis; it is about holding people accountable in a professional and kind way and giving them opportunities to improve, grow and learn. It is about seeing strengths in them that they may not see themselves and hold them up on areas that require feedback – all with the goal of self-development.
The relationships we have as leaders are stronger and more significant than we probably imagine. They will make people want to continue working with you, encourage people to be loyal to you or your company, and equally they can drive people away if conducted in the wrong manner.
Leadership is not a position, it is a way of life
The best leaders will not always be a boss or a line manager; they could be a coach, a celebrity, an idol, a parent ,a friend, a mentor or anyone you know. The key is their relationships and how they care about other people. Having strong emotional intelligence is an absolute necessity for a great leader and part of that is empathy and communication. Empowering others, taking ownership and being purpose-driven can help a person lead by default, but the only the best leaders care and have strong and healthy relationships with others. They have strong boundaries, clear expectations, empathy for others and are highly invested in developing those around them.
When we lead, we lead by example in all areas of life, not only in the workplace. Being a leader as a mother, an employee, a boss, a sportsperson, a role in the community or for the work you do creatively or with others, are all just as important, but the essential element for true leadership is an understanding of positive, healthy relationships and a genuine care for other people.