The Business Leadership Wikipedia: Leadership Identity

If you redefined your key business relationships in terms of leadership, how would your thoughts, actions and results change?

In every one of your business relationships you have an "identity". Whether you are the "manager", the "sales representative", the "supervisor", the "President", or the entrepreneur in a virtual organization you have an identity. That identity shapes your self-perception and the way others perceive you. That identity shapes your communication and your actions...and ultimately your results. Here's the crucial point: When you identify yourself, and others identify you as leader, five important transformations occur that can make all the difference in your success, whatever your business size or setting.

1) When you identify yourself as leader the value of your business relationships increase both in your eyes and in the eyes of others.

Have you ever stopped to think how many business titles and identities are functional? Titles like "Manager", "Supervisor", "Sales Representative" and "______Specialist" tell yourself and others what you "do". As such they are immediately limiting. The title trains you and others to expect the business relationship to surround the function.

On the other hand, the term leader is a term of identity. It says who you are. Notice how your perception of the titles we just mentioned changes when we restate the titles as "Sales Leader ", "Team Leader " or "Project Leader " (for Manager, Supervisor), "Technology Leader " vs. IT Manager. You expect more from a leader than a manager. The identity is more expansive, and therefore creates business relationships of greater value.

2) By identifying yourself as leader, you win back the strength of your inner direction.

If I'm the "manager", or whatever other functional title, I'm more likely part of a command chain in a top-down organization. As such, I'm less likely to rely on my own inner direction, and more likely to seek direction externally. It's a subtle, but powerful distinction.

3) By identifying yourself as leader, you create a new, more powerful business culture.

When you identify yourself, and encourage others to identify themselves as leaders, the very culture of your business begins to shift. If you and the others with whom you work are inner -directed rather than externally directed, how does this affect creativity, flexibility and innovation? How important are these qualities in our current business environment? By the way, it's not necessary to go about changing all the titles in the organization: Rather, just to perceive yourself differently, as leader. In itself, by doing this you will create a subtle shift in the culture of your business. This shift will incredibly accelerate when you treat others as leaders, helping them to claim their own leadership, further enhancing your value.

4) By identifying yourself as leader, you grow organizational and team unity and focus.

Increasingly, business leaders are operating at a geographical distance from their teams, and increasingly, business teams have a virtual nature. If it's not already true, the functions of sales, marketing, production and service are more likely geographically distant, perhaps outsourced. Entirely virtual organizations are among the fastest growing businesses. The more virtual the organization, the more challenging it is to create unity of identity and focus. This requires a new way of doing business characterized more in terms of leadership.

5) By identifying yourself and others as leaders, you grow attention, ownership and responsibility.

Business leaders often bemoan the loss of qualities like attention, focus, loyalty and responsibility. How would it affect your business if the attention factor of the people with whom you interact increased? The presence or lack of the attention people bring to their work can make or break a business. Leaders are far more likely to bring more attention to all that they do. When you're out in front, you must be more aware of the terrain so that you can respond accordingly--which grows responsibility.

So, for the next five business days, as you go about your business, identify yourself and those with whom you interact as leaders. It's not necessary to make any formal announcements. See how this silent, inner shift in your perception affects your thoughts, actions and results. See how it grows the following in your organization:

• Value
• Inner Direction
• Creativity and innovation
• Unity and focus
• Attention, ownership and responsibility

I'll be interested to hear your results, and add your stories as comments to this article!

DavidSmith

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David Smith is the CEO of 1st Insight Communications: Business Leadership Coaching for Accelerated Results. He is also the visionary creator of The Business Leadership Wikipedia.

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Comments:

Comment #1: Leadership Models Needed At the Top

Even more valuable today, thanks David.

Obama will have to define himself as a leader like no one has ever done. If he is seen as regurgitating democratic party principles, he's doomed, and so are we. We expect him to lead differently than past presidents. During the last few years Americans have been beating themselves up pretty fiercely, doing some self destructive things. Like home buying practices, leaders not supporting the middle class and their jobs, etc. Obama is capable of setting the leadership example we need. Leadership is the most important topic ever right now. Dan Howe, Sales Leader, DAN.HOWE@comcast.net