On Leadership

Leadership is the magnetic force that infuses business with purpose.

The leader is a magnet that attracts talented people,

That aligns their energies and unique skills with a powerful vision,

That arranges resources into patterns of effectiveness and efficiency.

Do not be misled into believing that leaders are born, not made, for both can be true:

Some are like the lodestone, imbued with inherent leadership qualities;

Yet others lead when they are charged with the current of inspiration;

Some are effective only under the influence of the strong magnetic field of another;

Yet still others grow into leaders through the coaching strokes of those they follow.

Leadership is the magnetic conductor in motion that brings the dynamo of enterprise to life.

Without good leadership, an organisation is inert, an ore that can be mined and exploited, but that remains lifeless, without a soul.

Under an authentic leader, an organisation is animated, a magnetised body with intrinsic power, a magician of movement, alive with spirit.

A leader serves the purpose of a lodestar,

A bright light of clarity in the dark sky of market chaos,

A guiding beacon for those seeking direction,

A symbol of hope for the birth of the inner child.

Why do the constellations fascinate us so?

Why does the Milky Way leave us in awe?

Why do super-novas get our hearts beating a little faster?

It is because they represent something larger than our little selves,

Something beyond the ordinary and outside of the mundane,

Something grand and spectacular and incomprehensible.

The stars stretch the fabric of time and tug at the elastic of our imaginations;

They challenge us to reach out and touch new worlds;

And they remind us of the miracle of our own blue-green orb.

What is the essence of leadership?

Why do some leaders gain our respect and inspire our commitment?

What differentiates an effective manager from an exceptional leader?

The answer is the same as why the stars captivate us.

The true leader will give us something worthwhile to believe in,

A vaulted canvass on which to locate ourselves in relation to the universe,

A twinkling sense of comfort when we are at our most vulnerable.

The most respected leaders are servants also,

Slaves to their principles of ethics and justice,

Tireless workers for the sustainability of the planet,

Followers of a greater destiny at the hands of humanity.

Leadership is the art of guiding us to the inner path that leads us to our own highest potential.

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2 On Leadership (Pdf print version)