Thirst for leadership ability has led to untold numbers of books, seminars of every stripe and numerous consultants claiming to have the answer to leadership. The traditional education strategy of learn and then apply what you learn along with misunderstandings about leadership have made most claims suspect or worse.
There is enough confusion around leadership that it shows up as a mystery to almost everyone. Those who assume they know what leadership is even though they can't explain it help keep the myetery in place. For most leadership is like quality, "I can't define it but I know it when I see it."
A penetrating look at leadership reveals three ways it is usually framed: (1) as based on expertise and inspiring others (2) as based on what makes a leader a leader or (3) as leading that produces results. Those who practice leading regularly produce results without paying attention to expertise and inspiring others or what makes a leader a leader. Leading for them is about what's wanted and needed and doing whatever it takes to produce results. Leading is what consistently produces extraordinary success.
Anyone can engage in and succeed in leading and accomplishing without demonstrated ability to inspire others or having acclaimed leadership traits. Leading is not about leadership abilities, it's about producing results. Attention to leading, the third dimension of leadership, consistently produces extraordinary results.
