100 Ways To Help Student Leaders Succeed [#3]
Moving From Position To Power The common myth in leadership is that if one simply holds a position of leadership then one must be a leader. But the truth is, just because a student is selected or elected to a position does not necessarily mean he or she is a leader.
I love the leadership proverb that says, “He or she who thinketh that they leadeth, and yet hath no one following them, is simply going for a walk.” In order to lead, one must move from a positional definition of leadership to a powerful definition of leadership. Let me explain what that means.
First, let me define what I mean by powerful. There are many who want to be in charge. But I am not speaking of power in the sense of dictating or control. I believe the greatest power comes from the ability to positively influence people, to help them become better than they were before your paths crossed, and to provide opportunities and guidance that will empower them to reach their potential. These are the kinds of things that make leadership powerful.
Are there tasks that must be done? Definitely. Are there responsibilities that a student leader must take care of because of the position that they hold? Of course. Does that make one a student leader? Not necessarily. Students can be effective at doing the work that their position demands and still never step into the realm of leadership because their attention was on the tasks and not on people.
That is why leadership positions should be considered a first step. Most students discover their leadership strengths because they are placed into a position where they can develop their leadership skills. But unless they move past accomplishing the tasks of a position they will never understand the heart of what it means to lead.
Moving from positional to powerful leadership means a change in emphasis. Powerful leadership puts the emphasis on how a person engages and works with people over how a person accomplishes a task. Note that tasks are important. But the moment a student begins to connect with others in the process, he or she begins to move the emphasis of their leadership from accomplishing tasks to developing people.
That is the key to powerful leadership. The student leader moves beyond the tasks of his or her job description and starts to concentrate on the power to influence people. Roger Staub II writes, “Effective leaders remember and act upon the fact that all work is done ultimately by people, with people, through people, and for people. Leaders function by creating alignment around tasks, inspiring and relating to people.”
Comments