Leadership is influence!

I am certain that one day I will be some kind of leader, I am just not sure what yet. Oprah says that one must prepare th emselves so that when the opportunity comes, you are ready. So in accordance I have been preparing myself for the leadership position that is coming my way. I have been reading the Maxwell leadership Bible as it views different incidents in the bible from a business perspective, especially the leadership roles of different characters. One of the most profound lessons that I have learnt from this is that “leadership is influence”, (J. Oswald Sanders). The more we are able to influence others to believe in our dreams, the more we will become better leaders.

It is really difficult to be of influence when you have no idea what you really stand for, so I have taken a few notes from a personal branding seminar I once attended by Thembi Sachikonye. She highlighted that the way that people view you shapes your career and your life. Resultantly it is also important to state what values you will be associated with and be conscious of the brand that you want to build. A personal brand allows you to live by choice and not by chance. Relationships therefore become a factor in building that brand of yours, and one should therefore utilize opportunities that foster winning relationships.

Influence involves other people, and that personal brand has to appeal to those people for it to be of influence. We live in an age of tolerance where protecting feelings is more highly favoured than proclaiming the truth. So I am for brand loyalty, once you have decided that this is your personal brand and that is what you stand for then stick to it. I like Thomas Jefferson’s remarks, “ in matters of fashion, swim the current, but in matters of conscience, stand like a rock”. Need I say more?

One thing we also need to realize in this influential leadership is that each person’s leadership is best exercised in his/her area of giftedness. When we discover our gifts, we will naturally lead in those areas where we are most productive, intuitive, comfortable, influential and satisfied. So if you feel you in the wrong line of work, I think you better switch, because if you want to be the influential leader that I am going to be, it is definitely not going to happen there!