What Does Leading Look Like?

“A leader is best when people barely know he exists.  When his work is done, his aims fulfilled, they will all say, ‘We did this ourselves.’ “ – Lao Tzu

There are a lot of ways to look at leadership. For centuries, it almost meant something like “dictator”. Leaders ordered people around and people did what they were ordered to do. If they didn’t, there was usually some kind of punishment.

That is not the world we’re living in today. The majority of today’s workforce won’t just do what they’re told because you said so. You’re not just ordering people around; What you’re really doing when you lead in today’s world is influence those who are following.

Sometimes as leaders we prefer the old way; It’s definitely simpler. We say what we want and that’s that. Everybody gets the same message, and if they don’t understand it, too bad for them. We don’t have to take time thinking about what motivates and energizes people, and we certainly don’t have to worry about the fact that they’re all motivated and energized by something a little bit different.

If that’s what you’re hoping for, too bad. That method is gone and it’s not coming back. If you really want to influence people, you have to actually think about the best way to do that.

A good first step is thinking about the person or people you’re trying to influence. What gets them out of bed in the morning? If you’re asking them to change, or to try something different, or do something more, you have to understand what would make them want to do that. Sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but “because the boss wants me to” doesn’t motivate people. They’re not really interested in what’s in it for you. They need to hear what’s in it for them.

And why shouldn’t they? As leaders we all know we’re not some all-knowing being that people should blindly follow. People’s lives are their own and they have a right to know why they’re doing things. Besides, if you can’t explain why, then maybe you don’t really know either.

Your job isn’t to order people around, it’s to influence them. You don’t influence by making demands, you influence by helping others see why it’s in their interest to do what needs to be done, and then helping them do it.