Not too long ago, I remember talking over some of my character traits with my mom. It was right before a college thingy where I'd get to meet some people from Colorado Christian University and just talk college and stuff. At one point, my mom said that good leadership was a skill that I had.
Instantly, I had a negative knee-jerk reaction to it.
Sure, I do enjoy projects where I get to lead, and I have grown a lot through leadership. It's also true that being the Senior Patrol Leader for my Boy Scout Troop was one of the most fulfilling things that I've done, and that I currently am the president of a student leadership group within my theater group.
Classification Hurts
When people classify others through positive or negative skills or attributes, I feel that it subconsciously limits potential.
If you hear that someone is really rich, and then they pull up in some falling apart car and start walking up the stairs in junky clothes; it's going to be a bit of a shock for you, right? You're expecting certain things from the person based on what you've heard, but you may be a little off-put by what you see. You may start saying, "well, he's living frugally." Or, "he's obviously not too worried about what others think of him." Or, "he's lazy and rich."
What if something got mixed up, and he's actually just a really poor guy with an amazing voice? In the 15 seconds of the first impression of him, you didn't get to see that. You saw what you heard and you rationalized it.
If you try to use a Phillips Screwdriver to pound in a nail, it isn't going to work quite right. If you were just reaching for something to use and that was the first thing that you grabbed, maybe you didn't question whether that tool was really right for that job.
People Are Similar (in that way) To Screwdrivers
Let's pretend that you hear that someone is a good leader and you immediately plop them into a leadership position. Do they know those under them? Have they gotten a grasp for what the group is like? Do they truly know leadership? What if that person is good at leading, but has interests elsewhere?
If you say that someone is a leader, you may trigger something in someone's brain. What if someone else thinks that being a good leader means that they can't take orders? What if that person sees a leader as a potential threat to their position? If you think about it, there are words that may not be good or bad in and of themselves that you may relate unrealistic negative (or positive) connotations to.
Now, I know that not having any classification is crazy, but I do think that a second hand assessment of a person's skills or attributes should be taken as a good starting point, but not the end all.
Another Reason
I don't think that the term "good leader" can just be used as a way to describe someone. But I think in order to explain why, you have to ask: What is leading?
In my opinion, leading is being someone that people are willing to follow.
You see, people can get behind an idea, but that can be thrown out in a second if the person in charge is an absolute jerk. You may love the ideas of a person, but have problems with their character (or vice-versa).
I'd say a leader needs to have:
Which of those have are measurable?
Vision? (maybe?)
You can't really say: Oh, that person has three charisma. Or, ten strength. People don't work that way. It's a little bit harder to nail those down. And people are going to react differently to that depending on who they are and what their personal tastes are.
One Final Reason
What do you think of when you think of a "leader"? Does a good leader always ask the opinion of those under him/her? Does a good leader make the choice that he/she thinks best, regardless of what others may say? Does a good leader have to be religious? Merciful? Strong?
If you ask ten different people that, you are going to get different answers.
So, why not let people choose for themselves if a person is a good leader?
If I have something to prove, I can prove it. If I have a skill, others will observe. I don't want to be a braggart, or incorrectly labeled. In fact, I'd rather not be labeled at all.
So, am I a good leader?
No, with all due respect, I'm not—I'm me.
Instantly, I had a negative knee-jerk reaction to it.
Sure, I do enjoy projects where I get to lead, and I have grown a lot through leadership. It's also true that being the Senior Patrol Leader for my Boy Scout Troop was one of the most fulfilling things that I've done, and that I currently am the president of a student leadership group within my theater group.
Classification Hurts
When people classify others through positive or negative skills or attributes, I feel that it subconsciously limits potential.
If you hear that someone is really rich, and then they pull up in some falling apart car and start walking up the stairs in junky clothes; it's going to be a bit of a shock for you, right? You're expecting certain things from the person based on what you've heard, but you may be a little off-put by what you see. You may start saying, "well, he's living frugally." Or, "he's obviously not too worried about what others think of him." Or, "he's lazy and rich."
What if something got mixed up, and he's actually just a really poor guy with an amazing voice? In the 15 seconds of the first impression of him, you didn't get to see that. You saw what you heard and you rationalized it.
If you try to use a Phillips Screwdriver to pound in a nail, it isn't going to work quite right. If you were just reaching for something to use and that was the first thing that you grabbed, maybe you didn't question whether that tool was really right for that job.
People Are Similar (in that way) To Screwdrivers
Let's pretend that you hear that someone is a good leader and you immediately plop them into a leadership position. Do they know those under them? Have they gotten a grasp for what the group is like? Do they truly know leadership? What if that person is good at leading, but has interests elsewhere?
If you say that someone is a leader, you may trigger something in someone's brain. What if someone else thinks that being a good leader means that they can't take orders? What if that person sees a leader as a potential threat to their position? If you think about it, there are words that may not be good or bad in and of themselves that you may relate unrealistic negative (or positive) connotations to.
Now, I know that not having any classification is crazy, but I do think that a second hand assessment of a person's skills or attributes should be taken as a good starting point, but not the end all.
Another Reason
I don't think that the term "good leader" can just be used as a way to describe someone. But I think in order to explain why, you have to ask: What is leading?
In my opinion, leading is being someone that people are willing to follow.
You see, people can get behind an idea, but that can be thrown out in a second if the person in charge is an absolute jerk. You may love the ideas of a person, but have problems with their character (or vice-versa).
I'd say a leader needs to have:
- Charisma
- Good problem solving skills
- A vision (goal)
- Compassion
- Bravery
- Strength
Which of those have are measurable?
Vision? (maybe?)
You can't really say: Oh, that person has three charisma. Or, ten strength. People don't work that way. It's a little bit harder to nail those down. And people are going to react differently to that depending on who they are and what their personal tastes are.
One Final Reason
What do you think of when you think of a "leader"? Does a good leader always ask the opinion of those under him/her? Does a good leader make the choice that he/she thinks best, regardless of what others may say? Does a good leader have to be religious? Merciful? Strong?
If you ask ten different people that, you are going to get different answers.
So, why not let people choose for themselves if a person is a good leader?
If I have something to prove, I can prove it. If I have a skill, others will observe. I don't want to be a braggart, or incorrectly labeled. In fact, I'd rather not be labeled at all.
So, am I a good leader?
No, with all due respect, I'm not—I'm me.
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