Leadership a multi dimensional concept - Whats your take?

The late thinker Sumantra Ghoshal once said that leadership means making happen what otherwise would not.? Making business growth happen, making teams to grow and thrive, creating a better world. Leadership is not for everyone. It is an intense job.

Everyone though would have a good sense of meaning leadership. But it does have multiple dimensions .. Some of quotes below on leaders take on leadership. elucidate the point.

John Quincy Adams said: "If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more, and become more, you are a leader."

Steve Jobs "Innovation distinguishes between a leader and a follower."

Peter Drucker "Management is doing things right; leadership is doing the right things."

In my career I have come to regard great leaders by the following 3 key traits amongst others :

1) ??? I could count on them to take us to a better place. Win the battles for us.

2)??? They made me feel better about my own self. They supported me to the hilt.

3)????They inspired me to do more.

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1) I could count on them to take us to a better place.

Some of the great leaders that I have worked closely with were focused on spending time on getting the Strategy right. Getting the questions on where to play and how to win right . Getting decisions more right then wrong. Yes they did get some decisions wrong, but those were few and far between . They rarely really blew up the big ones.?

2)??? They made me feel better about my own self. They supported me to the hilt.

They somehow made me feel that I know better , and believed in me more than I thought I did . They were not wanting to make a point or be smart in a room. They used their words and energy very carefully.

3)?????? They inspired me to do more.?

And they had almost a magical way of inspiring me to do more. They would seldom push me, but by their conviction in my ability would fill me with enough energy to accomplish complex and difficult goals.?

So here is my simple recipe for being an effective leader :

1)??? ?Train yourselves in your area of your work so that you are able to take the team home, Become an expert at goal setting, envisioning,? solving complex problems and art of making critical decisions. Your teams future rests in your hands in terms of setting the right goals and strategy.

2)??? Show your people their potential; Believe in them sometimes even more then they believe in themselves.

3)??? Inspire your team to accomplish more.?

More on how to get better on of each of these points in my next week post. Meanwhile will be interesting to hear your personal take on What is Leadership in a couple of lines. Do comment and build the thread..

And A Happy Dussehra to all !