Benchmark Learning's Blog

To begin this blog I want to focus on a series exploring components that constitute effective leadership. 

I was talking with someone this morning about leadership and I made the comment, "Effective leadership is when someone is being led and they don't know or feel that they are being led." In other words, an effective leader leads others toward a goal without forcing them to follow, coercing them to follow, or even rewarding them to follow.  People follow an effective leader because they WANT to follow that person.

In thinking this a bit further, I do believe that the principle is situational.  Sometimes, when a goal is vague or nebulous to people a leader must use some coercion or reward tactics.  Sometimes, such as in battle, there are negative consequences for not following the leader and the leader may not be able to be specific about the goal and its benefits (for security reasons).

But, for the most part, I still feel that an effective leader uses personal magnetism, honesty and motivation to instill in others the desire to follow.  Have you ever heard anyone say, "I would follow (name) anywhere?" 

That is the case with effective leaders; people would follow them anywhere.