How Are You Leading?

As stated earlier, leadership is influence. So, if this is true, one of the questions needing answered is… How? How are you leading or influencing others? This basically is the "glass half full / half empty" dilemma. How does your influence affect others?

You can think of yourself and your attitude as a thermometer or a thermostat. What does a thermometer do? It reflects the temperature of its environment. A thermometer-leader becomes chaotic when he/she enters a chaotic situation or becomes calm when they enter a calm situation.

What does a thermostat do? It changes the temperature of its environment. A thermometer-leader changes the environment that he or she is existing in.

Because leadership is influence, both types (a leader that reflects or becomes their environment or a leader that changes their environment) have a dramatic effect on the outcome of any situation. As a parent, if you enter into the chaos and anger of your children embattled in sibling rivalry and you mirror that chaos and anger, you not only are not having a positive effect on the situation, but you are just adding gas to the engine that will drive the situation in the wrong direction at that moment and in the future.

As a true leader who wants to see progress and wants to move things forward, one must be a thermostat-leader. The type of leader that has a positive influence on the direction of the environment they are influencing. Whether the environment is at home, work, social, or private (yes, you can be a leader of yourself, all by yourself. Actually, what you do in private says more about your leadership abilities than what you do in public).

So ask yourself, "How do I lead and influence others?" Be honest with yourself than sit down and make a list. Entitle it, "How I can be a better thermostat!" And develop yourself a behavior and attitude plan on how to “set” yourself so you influence your environment for the better.