On Becoming an Inspirational Leader – Part 3: The greatest leaders don’t need to be in control
Surely, we got the title wrong this week? One of the biggest perks of being the leader is the control it gives you, right? When you are the boss people HAVE TO do what you tell them – that’s why its so great being a leader. Isn’t it?
Not if you want to be an inspiring leader.
There is an important difference between authority and leadership. Authority comes from a position, title, and the ability to control. People do what you tell them because they have to. Not because they want to. They will get into trouble if they don’t. We’ve all known leaders like this in our lives. Sadly, when authority is applied in this way it is deeply uninspiring and demoralizing (even dangerous and cruel). Ideally you want people in positions of authority to also be great leaders, but alas that is often not the case. Look at most organisations and you will find people in very senior positions that are poor leaders. You will also find people in lower ranking positions, that are great leaders. Authority does not equal leadership.
If inspiring leaders are not trying to control people, what are they aiming at? Instead of telling people what to do, they empower their followers to think for themselves. The greatest leaders do not create followers, they create more leaders. They treat their people like adults that are capable of thinking for themselves and trust them to get the job done.
They don’t delegate tasks since they know that will only create followers that won’t or cannot think for themselves. Rather, they delegate their authority. They give people the authority to make decisions, innovate and take ownership.
When the aim is clear and everyone knows what they are working towards, there is no need to wield authority for the sake of control. Yes, the leader needs to set the direction and the tone. But then they trust their people to get them there.
What can you do if you’ve been over-reliant on authority as a leader?
You need to start delegating some of that authority. It’s time to give your people the opportunity to make their own decisions. You keep your people accountable to think for themselves and you help them along the way to make sure everyone is pulling in the same direction. When they come to you with a question, tell them: “You decide”. They might be shocked at first. But follow through. Show them that your commitment to their development and contribution is true and not just some flavour of the week approach.
To empower your people you need to double down on two crucial ingredients: clear communication and genuine trust.
Clear communication clarifies expectations. People know exactly what is expected of them. They know what success looks like.
Genuine trust allows people to achieve these expectations via their own route. The leader doesn’t have to get fixated on every detail. Rather, they empower their people to determine the best way to get things done (doing the right and ethical thing being the obvious guiding principles).
Like Craig Groeschel says: “You can have control or you can have growth, but you cannot have both”.
The best leaders don’t have to be in control. They don’t cling to their authority, they delegate it. They don’t create mindless followers, they create empowered leaders.
Inspiring leaders are not inspirational by accident – they do things differently on purpose. And so can you. But it is up to you to take up the challenge: will you become a leader that people would love to follow?
The Takeaway
Anybody can become an inspirational leader if you know what to focus on. One way of doing this is to empower and not control.
PurposeWorks offers a 10-week in-depth leadership coaching course that is aimed at developing inspiring leaders that people love to follow. If you are interested and want to know more talk to us at info@purposeworks.co.za.
At PurposeWorks we are all about Making You and Your Work Rock. Our focus is on Organisational Health and Design, Employee Centered Culture, Leadership Development and Performance Coaching. For more information on how we can help you create a work environment that rocks, develop a great team, become an inspiring leader or unlock your personal excellence talk to us at info@purposeworks.co.za.
