lead people . Knowing about leadership and actually doing leadership are not one and the same !
In my community there is a young lad called Jack . When Jack was eight he learned about the struggle elephants had surviving in Thailand and that it can take $ 20,000.00 to save one . Well , Jack set about saving one . He started offering to wash cars , he made scones and pikelets and sold them as he enlisted other young people and the local community in his vison . Within 2 years Jack had raised the $ 20,000.00 he needed to save his first elephant who he named Kwan Jai , Thai for beloved . At the time of writing , Jack is now busy saving for his third elephant and held an exhibition of his elephant drawings at our local Museum . Jack has no formal leadership qualifications just a burning desire to make a difference . I follow his life with interest !
Don ’ t get me wrong , there is amazing research being done to understand how we can become better people and better leaders . But reading and learning doesn ’ t guarantee application . Knowledge is not useful unless it is applied . It is not what you know about leadership that makes a difference , it ’ s what you do and what you apply over and over again until it causes you to transform your new knowledge into a new behaviours . This will not happen from just getting a qualification in leadership , attending a leadership workshop or reading this article . Believe me , I know . You can read all the diet books in the world and never lose a pound ! The key then , is not knowledge but doing , experimenting and practicing . Lots and lots of practicing .
Practice what you know . And then practice some more .
Myth Three : There is one right way to lead – the latest leadership fad There are lots of leadership models , and I mean lots . This often leads to the supposition that the latest book or theory is the way we should be leading – the latest fad . For example , we all need to become ‘ transformational leaders ’ or ‘ charismatic leaders ’, or maybe ‘ servant leaders ’. I have numerous aversions to this thinking , not the least being that this involves all leaders trying to be the same !
Rather than just accepting someone else ’ s take on what it means to show leadership , part of leadership development is working out what matters to you and why . As Socrates said “ the beginning of wisdom is the definition of terms ”.
One of the best examples of I can think of here is Sam , the Canterbury University student who , through his social media prowess , marshalled hundreds of students and then farmers and many others to help shovel tonnes of liquefaction after the Canterbury earthquakes .
Having met Sam a few years ago when we both spoke at the Mental Health Nurse ’ s Conference in Christchurch I am confident that Sam didn ’ t wake up at 2.00am asking himself which leadership model or approach he should follow . He just did what was right for him , using the strengths , skills and knowledge he had . He took action .
Sam would be the first to admit that there were a number of things he had no idea how to do when he started . But that didn ’ t stop him . He was willing to ask for help and let others use their talents and strengths . He wasn ’ t following a particular leadership model though . He just listened to his heart and his head and acted . I can see why UNISDR ( United Nations International Strategy for
December 2016 L . O . G . I . C 11
lead people. Knowing about
leadership and actually doing
leadership are not one and the
same!
In my community there is a
young lad called Jack. When
Jack was eight he learned about
the struggle elephants had
surviving in Thailand and that it
can take $20,000.00 to save
one. Well, Jack set about saving
one. He started offering to
wash cars, he made scones and
pikelets and sold them as he
enlisted other young people
and the local community in his
vison. Within 2 years Jack had
raised the $20,000.00 he
needed to save his first
elephant who he named Kwan
Jai, Thai for beloved. At the
time of writing, Jack is now
busy saving for his third
elephant and held an exhibition
of his elephant drawings at our
local Museum. Jack has no
formal leadership qualifications
just a burning desire to make a
difference. I follow his life with
interest!
Don’t get me wrong, there is
amazing research being done to
understand how we can
become better people and
better leaders. But reading and
learning doesn’t guarantee
application. Knowledge is not
useful unless it is applied. It is
not what you know about
leadership that makes a
December 2016 L.O.G.I.C
difference, it’s what you do and
what you apply over and over
again until it causes you to
transform your new knowledge
into a new behaviours. This will
not happen from just getting a
qualification in leadership,
attending
a
leadership
workshop or reading this
article. Believe me, I know. You
can read all the diet books in
the world and never lose a
pound! The key then, is not
knowledge
but
doing,
experimenting and practicing.
Lots and lots of practicing.
Practice what you know. And
then practice some more.
Myth Three: There is one right
way to lead – the latest
leadership fad
There are lots of leadership
models, and I mean lots. This
often leads to the supposition
that the latest book or theory is
the way we should be leading –
the latest fad. For example, we
all
need
to
become
‘transformational leaders’ or
‘charismatic leaders’, or maybe
‘servant leaders’. I have
numerous aversions to this
thinking, not the least being
that this involves all leaders
trying to be the same!
Rather than just accepting
someone else’s take on what it
means to show leadership, part
of leadership development is
working out what matters to
you and why. As Socrates said
“the beginning of wisdom is the
definition of terms”.
One of the best examples of I
can think of here is Sam, the
Canterbury University student
who, through his social media
prowess, marshalled hundreds
of students and then farmers
and many others to help shovel
tonnes of liquefaction after the
Canterbury earthquakes.
Having met Sam a few years
ago when we both spoke at the
Mental
Health
Nurse’s
Conference in Christchurch I
am confident that Sam didn’t
wake up at 2.00am asking
himself which leadership model
or approach he should follow.
He just did what was right for
him, using the strengths, skills
and knowledge he had. He took
action.
Sam would be the first to admit
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