In our Take Another Step System Workshop, we explore 10 leadership concepts. These concepts define what leadership is. However, before we can coach our client’s on what leadership is, they need to know what leadership is not.

3 Things that Leadership is not: 

1. Perfection

Are you perfect? Are your people perfect? I used to demand that I and everyone around me be perfect rather than simply inspiring them to be their best. This created distrust and anxiety where no one could take another step.

Consider this quote from Vince Lombardi: “Perfection is not attainable, but if we chase perfection, we can catch excellence.”

Once my mindset shifted from being THE BEST to OUR BEST, then we are all unified with a single mission daily to chase excellence and take another step.

2. Management

So what is management? Consider this quote from Steve Jobs: “Management is about persuading people to do things they do not want to do, while leadership is about inspiring people to do the things they never thought they could.” 

Leaders see the value in people, whereas managers see people as a means to an end. Once we embrace this concept, our perspective will change and those around us will sense our care and concern.

3. Dictating results 

One day as a young leader, my mentor challenged me on why an assignment had not been completed. I replied that I had directed my team what to do and that they had failed. He was not impressed. He let me know in his own special way that it was my job to get results, not my team’s. Once we understand that we must not dictate, but inspire, we will become better leaders and allow everyone to take another step.

In my personal story of transforming from a dictator to an inspirational leader, I had to understand what leadership was not. Once we understand what it is not, then we can begin the journey of understanding what leadership truly is. When we become conscious of how we impact people and we have an open mind and heart, then we can inspire others to take another step.

We would love for you to share with us a time when you found out what leadership was not and how you transformed into an inspirational leader. Please leave your comments in the comment section below.