What is Leadership?
Leaders don't force other people to go along with them. They bring them along.
Leaders get commitment from others by giving it themselves, by building an environment that encourages creativity, and by operating with honesty and fairness.
Leaders demand much of others, but also give much of themselves. They are ambitious - not only for themselves, but also for those who work with them. They seek to attract, retain and develop other people to their full abilities.
Good leaders aren't "lone rangers". They recognize that an organization's strategies for success require the combined talents and efforts of many people. Leadership is the catalyst for transforming those talents into results.
Leaders know that even when there are two opinions on an issue, one is not bound to be wrong. They recognize that hustle and rush are the allies of superficiality. They are open to new ideas, but they explore their ramifications thoroughly.
Successful leaders are emotionally and intellectually oriented to the future - not wedded to the past. They have a hunger to take responsibility, to innovate and to initiate. They are not content with merely taking care of what's already there. They want to move forward to create something new.
Leaders provide answers as well as direction, offer strength as well as dedication, and speak from experience as well as understanding of the problems they face and the people they work with.
Leaders are flexible rather than dogmatic. They believe in unity rather than conformity. And they strive to achieve consensus out of conflict.
Leadership is all about getting people consistently to give their best, helping them to grow to their fullest potential, and motivating them to work toward a common good. Leaders make the right things happen when they're supposed to.
A good leader, an effective leader, is one who has respect. Respect is something you have to have in order to get. A leader who has respect for other people at all levels of an organization, for the work they do, and for their abilities, aspirations and needs, will find that respect is returned. And all concerned will be motivated to work together.
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NPower is a growing network of independent, locally based nonprofits dedicated to one thing: Putting technology know-how in the hands of nonprofits. NPower's mission is to ensure all nonprofits can use technology to expand the reach and impact of their work.
