Those who know "what" will always work for those who know "why". This is one of the greatest issues of leadership. You can call it a matter of the heart, being committed to a cause, or just instinct...but it's what separates the leader from the follower. Positional leadership has always said "Do this or that" with the assumption that the hearer would walk away and do as he was told...as any good employee would. But why? At what point did we label this dead-headed behavior as acceptable. A good leader should encourage his team to question him. As a leader, IF NO ONE IS ASKING YOU WHY THEN NO ONE IS REALLY INFLUENCED BY YOU. They are just order-takers. They are only influenced by your position! When they ask WHY they are trying to get a glimpse into how you think and operate. This is the core difference between positional (traditional, downwards, controlling) leadership and leading to the side.
I may not be the boss and I may not have "president" on my door...but there's just something about the way I think and make decisions that makes the people beside me say....WHY?
Tuesday, November 25, 2008
Why?
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2 comments:
Well said! I hate to hear someone say to do something just because i said so. Why?!
Ouch. "If no one is asking you why then no one is really influenced by you." I would have to say that I must influence my husband alot, because he often ask why. But I can also see how this applies to other aspects of my life as well. "Why" is so annoying but so much more important than annoying.
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