Leadership
The word “leadership” has become such a buzzword that you almost expect there to be a pill for it soon. To cut through the clutter, we sat down with Dr. Keith Eigel, founder of the Atlanta-based Leaders Lyceum to get some insight into what really sets a leader apart.
The word “leadership” is tossed around so commonly these days, what defines a true leader?
When you look at great leaders, think Martin Luther King Jr. and Mother Teresa, it’s less about what they know and more about how they know what they know – it’s their maturity of perspective that is so highly developed. Great leaders are extraordinary because in the face of challenges that contradict their world views, they persist and their understanding grows more mature and more effective. And great leaders do this across their whole lives: personal, work, family…
So developing into a great leader is largely about embracing life’s challenges?
I believe the problems we face challenge us to a different level of understanding. In this way we don’t really solve our problems, our problems solve us. Those who understand that challenges are spectacular opportunities for growth actually develop significantly faster – this is how we develop the maturity of perspective.
This is counterintuitive for a society that does everything it can to avoid hardship and struggle.
It isn’t easy. Real growth never is. Reflect back; has it been the easy times or the hard times that led to growth in your life? Also, we need to focus on what we have control over. At the end of the day, we can really only change ourselves. So we must start by looking inward, but it takes time. Much like training for a marathon, we have to be intentional and willing to do the hard work over the long haul.
If we are ready to do the hard work, how should we focus on our own development as a leader?
Think of growth as three stages of a journey: a destination, a starting point and the most direct route. First, we need to determine our destination: who we want to be. At the end of our lives, what will have defined us, what will we consider success?
Second, we need a proper perspective on who we are right now. Accurate self-awareness is key since we need to know where we are before we can determine how to get to our destination.
Finally, and the really tough part, is the journey itself. We’re most effective when the course is as straight as possible. Being a few degrees off over a lifetime can take us far off course, but living our lives consistent with who we want to be will actually accelerate our development. You can’t get to Florida by heading north on I-85.
What else can we do to accelerate our development as leaders?
Radical growth and change has to happen in the context of conversations and accountability with others. I’m convinced that the highest levels of great leadership come from humility and having wise people in our lives walking the journey with us, asking hard questions and pointing out the blinds spots that we don’t see ourselves.
For more thoughts on leadership from Dr. Eigel watch his TEDx Talk. Also, from personal experience, we highly recommend participating in a development course through The Leaders Lyceum.
