The Leadership Sphere: Forging Influential Relationships with your Bosses, Peers, Employees, Family, Friends, and Communities
The Leadership Sphere: Forging Influential Relationships with your Bosses, Peers, Employees, Family, Friends, and Communities
Patrick J. Hill | 2020
Abstract
Leadership experts and scholars agree that leadership is not about a rank, title, or position and it is not about telling people what to do; it is about your ability to inspire and influence people towards a common goal.iThere was something else they all have in common: The examples they used to illustrate their leadership concepts all appear to be CEOs, high-ranking military leaders, heads of state, and senior leaders of organizations. These examples illustrated how they turned their organizations around or won battles by effectively leading their employees or soldiers. It would seem from the examples that leadership is a top-down, linear relationship between the leader and follower.
This is great when you’re the boss, but what about when you’re not? What if you’re a middle-manager or entry-level employee? If leadership is truly about influence, then is it possible to lead your peers and bosses? If leadership is truly about influence, then it is not a linear relationship between the leader and his or her followers. Influence is the action or process of producing effects on the actions, behavior, opinions, etc., of another or others.iiIt is 3-dimensional. “Another or others” does not end at followers or employees, nor does it end with colleagues or professional relationships. We can have influence on any relationship; our families, friends, and neighbors.
In The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, Stephen Covey talks about a “Circle of Influence.” They are things and relationships we have control, authority, or the opportunity to persuade or inspire.iiiLimiting ourselves to our professional relationships leaves our circle with only our bosses, peers, and employees. However, we can influence anyone. You don’t have to be in charge to be a leader. The case studies are from real people. The stories are about their environments and personal relationships outside of work. Some are in leadership positions; some are in lower level positions; others are peer to peer or social relationships.
Not all the stories have happy or successful endings. Some were failures resulting in damaged relationships and scars carried into future relationships, but all had lessons learned for the people involved and us. I did this on purpose because not every story in life has a happy ending. We need to know how to navigate through life when things don’t go as we want or expect. We need to know how to adapt, change, and grow.
iNorthouse, P. (2016). Leadership: Theory and practice, seventh edition. Los Angeles, CA: SAGE Publications.
iiInfluence. (2002). In Dictionary.com. Retrieved from https://www.dictionary.com/browse/influence?s=t
iiiCovey, S. (2004). The 7 habits of highly effective people: Powerful lessons in personal change, 25th anniversary edition. New York, NY: Simon & Schuster, Inc.