Effective leadership is an elusive concept. It’s like when we are moved by an incredible actress or performer. Beyond knowing we have been moved, many find it difficult to describe why.
Describing why we were moved by a performance is another level of awareness – a level with a great deal of complexity. It could be her technical skills, the story, the music accompanying the performance, the viewer’s life experience, and so forth. In the end, the performance resonates with some and not others.
What moves one individual to tears has a different effect on another. In many ways, leadership is a similar construct.
In his book Leadership in Organizations, Gary Yukl (2002), suggests that most definitions of leadership “reflect the assumption that it involves a process whereby intentional influence is exerted by one person over other people to guide, structure, facilitate activities and relationships in a group or organization” (p. 2). An important word in Yukl’s definition is “influence.”
Regardless of the specific definition, all of us construct what it means to be an “effective leader” in a different manner. For instance, some may value a leader who yields results while another may want a leader who makes them feel good. Some want both!
It’s like asking seven people what makes an effective coach, teacher, mentor, or supervisor. Moreover, it’s likely the seven people would value and construct “effective” in different ways. This is an important concept for which all of us should be aware. In part, the leader needs to have an understanding of how followers value and construct effective leadership to be viewed as effective.
|
