THE LANGUAGE OF LEADING

Words matter. They can clarify or obfuscate. They can motivate or muffle enthusiasm. If you lead, every word and phrase is important because followers (at least those you hope are following) are always listening. What you say shapes what they hear, understand, and ultimately do.

Rather than write about the words of vision or inspiration, I want to consider that language of leading itself. I’ve become more adamant about it because I’ve seen how muddled it has become. “Leadership says…” is one particular irritant. “Leadership” is not some abstract font of wisdom like the Oracle at Delphi. If the people occupying the seniormost positions in an organization, generally those who are referred to as “leadership," wish to say something, they should put their names to it. And if they won’t put their names to it, they shouldn’t say it.

I propose a basic taxonomy:

Leaders are those who lead, not those who occupy a certain position. It is a designation given only by followers, not something that you claim for yourself.

Leading is what leaders do. It is a set of behaviors, decisions, and actions that unite people to accomplish a shared objective.

Leadership is a body of knowledge about the practice of leading. Those who lead, or aspire to lead, study leadership in their pursuit of the mastery of leading.

As pedantic as this may seem, precise language is important if we are to mitigate the damage of people who claim to lead, but don’t: the tone-deaf CEO, the indecisive Executive Director, the SVP of Sucking Up. Leadership is a noun. Leading is a verb. It is only by doing the hard work of leading that your followers will see you as a leader.

At a practical level, this simple framework can help you develop yourself, build a strong team, and boost your self-confidence. It is a guide for thinking and reflecting, the essential inner work of becoming a leader. A side benefit is that it aids in navigating the dozen or so books (and scores of articles, podcasts, etc.) about leadership that are published each month:

Behaviors: How will you live into the responsibilities of leading? How will you demonstrate your character—that you are worthy of being followed?

Decisions: What decisions must you be ready to make? How will you prepare yourself to make the wisest possible choices? The decisions you are willing to make (or not make), and how and when you make them, outwardly demonstrate your vision and set expectations for others.

Actions: What activities will you put in motion? How will you marshal the commitment of others to undertake the journey to create a better future? Embrace the verb! The actions you take—and empower others to take—are the only way to move forward.

Leading requires courage and discipline as well as aptitude. It is something at which no one ever achieves perfection. The journey toward mastery offers continual opportunities to learn and abundant rewards for the effort.

Study leadership, practice leading, become a leader.