After writing fourteen books about leadership, I sometimes find myself at a loss when I discover my writings in an unusual place. Often, I don’t even remember writing what has been recycled!
So I was suprised to see something I had written some years ago show up as part of a graduation speech – the Internet is the uber-recyling entity!
These are some thoughts, written in 1999, about leadership, from my book, “Inspirational Leadership”…………..
Leadership is not so much about technique and methods
as it is about opening the heart.
Leadership is about inspiration ñ of oneself and of others.
Great leadership is about human experiences, not processes.
Leadership is not a formula or a program,
it is a human activity that comes from the heart
and considers the hearts of others.
It is an attitude, not a routine.
More than anything else today,
followers believe that they are part of a system,
a process that lacks heart.
If there is one thing a leader can do
to connect with followers at a human,
or better still a spiritual level,
it is to become engaged with them fully,
to share experiences and emotions,
and to set aside the processes of leadership
we have learned by rote.
Dear Lance,
your book “Inspirational Leadership” is one of my bedside books. I also support your thoughts in your recent blog. I would like to to use them in a future speech.
As an addition, let me state in my own words what Frederick Herzberg has said about motivation:
A leader’s or a manager’s mission is not to set on the motivation fire but to create such an environment to allow the motivation spark strike within oneself (followers).
I am very supportive of Frederick’s approach, and I believe it unites very well with your inspirational leadership approach, doesn’t it?
Best Regards,
Ferhat Esemen