Introduction:Levels of Leadership

In the next couple of weeks, we will be considering Levels or stages of leadership. As a leader it's important for you to know the level that you're in, in your journey of leadership, that will help you to know the level or stage that you are and consequently give you the opportunity to move to the next level.

But before we proceed in this journey let's quickly say something about Leadership today.

What's leadership?

Scholar's in different dispensation at various times have attempted to define what leadership is, but in the context of this write -up, I will like us to stay with this definition which has been the best ever for me. 

 "Leadership is the capacity to influence others through inspiration, motivated by passion, generated by vision, produced by a conviction, ignited by a purpose.”  Dr. Myles Egbert Munroe

This definition is loaded with everything there's to know about leadership. Let me take some time to explain this definition, there are key words in this definition that you need to take cognisance of, these words are: Influence, Inspiration, Passion, Vision, Conviction and Purpose.

Let's take them one after the other and see how they are individually related and how important they are in defining leadership.

I will like to adopt Last in First out (LIFO)Method here, because every viable and meaningful leadership journey starts with a purpose when purpose is out of the equation of leadership that type or kind of leadership becomes dangerous because there will be no sense of direction and destination because what gives a sense of destination is purpose. So, purpose is the foundation on which leadership stands. 

The next word to purpose in the definition above is conviction, conviction thrives on the platform of purpose "when there's foundation of purpose it's a lot easier to lay the bricks of conviction". As a leader you need to be convinced first, before you can convince your follower(s).

I have heard people saying many times in  trying to differentiate leadership by types and one of the things they say is "Visionary leader".

Here me well!, There's nothing like visionary leader because there's no leadership at all without vision. Vision is the generating plant of leadership, "Leadership is run by vision" It's impossible to take vision out of leadership equation.when a leader 'supposedly' does not have vision that person is not a leader at all because what qualifies you to be a leader is your vision. Vision shows clearly your destination. 

The next word to Vision is passion but passion also succeeds when there's vision " If there's no vision there can be no passion" . "Passion is the driver that drives the vehicle of Vision"  the two are intertwined but vision preceeds passion. Passion is needed to get vision accomplished.

Let's talk about inspiration, Leadership is  spiritual there must a source of inspiration for every leader who wants to be successful in his or her leadership capacity,there must be a source of refreshment after you're exhausted as a leader, there must be a go-to higher being to get refreshed and get inspired because until you're able to inspire your followers your leadership competency will be in doubt, my suggestion to your therefore is to go back to your creator i.e God .But there is a spirit in man: and the inspiration of the Almighty giveth them understanding Job 32:8.   You can't be a successful leader if you're not the type that get inspired and consequently get your followers inspired by your own inspiration. You must understand that leadership it's all about influencing people through inspiration and not through manipulation, lie, fear, cajole, deception and any other means, if it's not through inspiration it's not leadership. And this tells us today the type of leaders we have in the world today most especially in Africa and Nigeria as a case study. 

The last but most important part of this definition is Influence.  John Maxwell in one of his books defined leadership as "leadership is influence, nothing more and nothing less" . The ultimate goal of any leader is to influence people and as a result of his influence on them they become his follower's. "You become a leader when people follows you when there's no consequence(s), condition,damage or destruction if they do otherwise " in other words  they follow you because they like your vision, they love where you're going and they want to follow,they love what you're doing and they also want to be part of it. You become a leader when people voluntarily follows you.

Note: the ultimate goal of leadership is to influence.

Regards.

Copyright©️ Ajayi Babatunde