Leadership as a Position or as a Quality
Jean Starling
While preparing to teach in an upcoming experiential
education workshop on Self Awareness, I decided to clear my
mind and to exercise myself and my yearling horse named
Dee. I sometimes do that by walking and jogging her around
the arena with her moving freely beside me. As we circled
'round and 'round the arena, trying to keep a steady
connected pace with one another, we would lose IT and
suddenly get IT again. I define "IT" as the sure connection
that makes all things worth-while and makes leadership a
quality and not a position.
In the position of manager or leader I may be able to force
many things to happen. While there are times when this type
of leadership approach may be appropriate, it is my opinion
that those times are few. If indeed I really want to LEAD
and if I want to achieve the greatest results, then I must
get that connection and work to keep it, fleeting though it
may be. As a leader, I need to continually seek that flow
between those I lead and myself.
We walk, we jog and finally lope
With matching gaits we go
Then just for a minute or two
We are connected and flow
We have the same intention
Going the identical direction
Desiring like ambition
Just in an instant I get too far behind
Now you are afraid
You think I am pushing you
I try to fix it
So I speed up
We again have that rhythmic flow
It feels good
It seems right
We are of one mind one sight
We are in sync
No need to speak
Equals you and I
But wait, I'm now too far in front of you
You turn, you twirl
You run and bound around
I keep going
But you just stop
What's the direction, what's the Goal?
You are lost and adrift
In a sea of confusion
Waiting for the fog to lift
The connecting place
Is a fleeting space
Of this I must be aware
The place of connection and flow
Is where the heart needs to go
Where leader and led are one
And both endeavor to reach
That same finish gate
As equals, partners and allies
I learned from by little red mare, there is a spot and a
place where we connect and move as one. As it is in life
and leadership of all nature, but this place is a fleeting
moment in time. It is a balance and a rhythm one moment in
sync and the next not.
Too far behind and while my position of power may allow me
to force you to move on, with force we have lost the flow.
Without the flow we have lost true connection and without
connection we have lost the heart. It is only with Heart
that great things are achieved. If I want Great vs.
mediocre then my leadership must include your heart.
Too far ahead and you get confused, like a ship without a
compass you do not know where to go. So you either bounce
around with great energy and no real direction or you may
stop and, either way, achieve nothing.
My goal then is clear. Rather than the position, I want the
qualities of leadership and those are the qualities I want
to inspire in others.
(c) 2004 Jean Starling - http://www.TheSpiritOfLearning.com
Jean Starling is a speaker, consultant/coach with mastery in: Experiential Learning and Relationship Management, Emotional Intelligence and Leadership, with 20 years of corporate management, consulting and training experience. She is founder of http://www.EquinExperience.com, and http://www.TheSpiritOfLearning.com promoting interaction with horses to develop human communication skills. Contact mailto:jean@TheSpiritOfLearning.comor call 360-668-1954.
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