Leadership is often defined by the impact that an individual
has on an organization and their ability to influence others to engage and own
the vision of the organization. This can be accomplished through several methods,
but it is partnered with the authority to put programs and ideas into
processes. However, what happens when you move from having authority to another
role?
To some leaders, this can be a death call to their
leadership opportunities. To the true leaders, the opportunity to lead through
influence becomes a role that becomes significant in being a part of the
success of an organization. Influence leadership can be difficult to cultivate
but a true leader is still sought out by others for discussions about ideas,
processes, and strategy. Even for a young leader, influence leadership provides
an opportunity to be a mentor or teacher to others as they discover their gifts
and talents. Experiences and knowledge in a leader can be shared and used to
assist others to make significant and substantial contributions to their
organization.
The positive part about being an influence leader is that
senior leaders in a healthy organization will recognize the contributions that
are being made and look to place that leader in a more significant role. In an
unhealthy organization, the leader might be viewed as being disruptive or
envied by senior leaders because of the influence the person might have on
others. If the influence leader is operating in the best interest of the
organization by providing support to others, in the end, even in an unhealthy
organization, they will be recognized and provided with other opportunities.
It is easy to lead with authority and learning to lead with
authority is necessary in successful leadership. However, it is the individual
that masters the art of leadership by influence that is given additional
opportunities to make significant contribution to organizations.
