Leadership Starts from the Ground Up

Leadership is a concept that calls to mind a wide variety of definitions in the minds of many individuals and is also a highly misunderstood concept in many cases. It is quite natural to assume that the leader of any given group is the person who has the most expertise, authority or the highest ranking title. While this is a natural assumption to make, it is also quite false. The title of leader, it turns out, cannot actually be granted by anyone other than the people willing to be led.

This is an important concept to understand in regards to the differences between perceived leadership and actual leadership. A superior can bestow a title on an employee, but they cannot make them a leader. Leadership is a title bestowed from below, not from above. A senior executive can give someone the title of manager, but the real leader of the department will be determined by the employees, not the senior executive. Many managers and mid-level executives may find themselves quickly undermined by employees or subordinates that feel someone else is better suited or qualified to lead them and any attempt to assert their authority will most likely become a losing battle.

Instead, people willingly follow leaders who exhibit certain traits and tendencies such as an expertise in their area and a willingness to listen to their subordinates. Just as quickly as leadership is given, however, it can also be taken away. When people lose confidence in their leaders they will often either seek a new leader or become “self-leading” by banding together to make group decisions. When a group decides it no longer chooses to be led by a given leader, there is little the leader can do but step aside and cede to the leader the group chooses to replace them or the group’s desire to lead themselves.

Understanding group dynamics and where authority actually comes from is important for any leader. While a superior can give you a title such as a supervisor or a manager, they cannot make you a leader. The only people that can grant you that position are the people you seek to lead. It is an interesting conundrum that groups without a clearly established or defined leader will most often work together to find common ground and reach group decisions but are also willing to be led by a competent leader. The goal is to prove yourself as that competent leader rather than simply relying on a title alone to give you authority.

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