Leadership as a Position or as a Quality

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 worthwhile 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.

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