AFFIRMATION #4: INFLUENCE.
John C. Maxwell has been known for his most popular saying, "Leadership is influence." He has likely said this 100,000 times over the years and has written many best seller books to prove this maxim over-and-over.
I contend that leadership is about affirmation and over these next few articles I plan to spell out the meaning of leadership by writing a principle article spelling out affirmation. The first three are attentive to others, recognizing that feelings matter, and being fun-loving. Why? It is in these qualities that leaders convey trust, fairness, and humanness. These are significant and they may contribute to one’s influence but the principle stands alone in that leadership is influence.
It isn’t just because Maxwell says so; that is already proven. It is observed in nearly every church, organization, business, executive management team, and in government. If you can win friends and influence people, you can win! Carnegie was and is right! Being influential positions people with the ability to lead. Maxwell is right as well when he wrote about the 5-Levels of Leadership. The weakest of levels is positional leadership with the strongest level being based on influence.
So how does this relate to affirmation? It relates because as we have influence it is most notably because people like us, or because of a freely given position to leading others. When we have influence we are able to convey a quality of mutuality and trust. Likely this is part of the affirmation continuum. First comes trust, fairness, and humanness.
To lead requires the ability of affirmation through influence. It happens that as we possess more than positional leadership we rise to a level where those who follow permit us to lead, therefore feeling and believing in our leadership. Not a small task mind you. When people freely follow, and even are led by our influence, this demonstrates authentic leadership at its core.
Leadership Article #5
