I have co-founded 3 companies to-date. I have been continually learning along this journey on how to influence and lead; what it takes to influence and inspire people around me; and that it takes a lot more than personal intelligence, compassion, business network and knowledge/skills to become an effective influencer and leader.
Well, it seems I have a long way to go in this quest for the holy grail!
Before discussing what leadership means to me, I would like to deliberate on two key elements – 1) Ego and 2) Self-awareness, which I believe are core to understanding leadership.
Ego, based on what I have gathered is simply our sense of self OR our self-image of our personality. In reality, this is never the same as what others perceive us to be. And, when I say self-awareness, I just feel that it is being conscious about our capabilities, deficiencies and attitude towards others.
As I began to assess leadership based on these elements, I concluded that I should first work on leading myself and then on influencing others. So, I set out on a journey to understand the concept of ‘personal leadership’.
Leadership first starts within. It is one’s own ability to self-inspire and self-motivate to give the best at whatever he/she believes in. I feel this is fundamental before seeking to inspire and influence others towards a common purpose.
So, I have been trying to be cognizant of my ego and conscious of my abilities and deficiencies. While I recognize the value of my self-esteem, I also understand the importance of having the courage and humility to seek help from others. I certainly need the passion, counsel and support of a good team to create and realize a common vision. This means, I need to become an able listener and a solid influencer.
Influencing without authority, be it in a personal setting (our spouses, children, friends and so forth) or in a professional setting (subordinates, peers or superiors), requires us to develop a ‘presence’ – an aura of specialness for others to feel. It is then people buy into a vision and embrace it as their own.
James Scouller, in his book “Three Levels of Leadership model”, describes “presence” as something beyond a person’s title, fame or social status. He articulates “presence” as something deeper, more authentic, more fundamental and more powerful and reflective of someone’s true inner qualities.
(Ref: http://www.three-levels-of-leadership.com/blog/tag/james-scouller/)
Scouller also suggests that each person’s authentic presence is unique and outlines seven qualities of presence: 1) personal power – command over one’s thoughts, feelings and actions, 2) high, real self-esteem, 3) the drive to be more, to learn, to grow, 4) a balance of an energetic sense of purpose with a concern for the service of others and respect for their free will, 5) intuition, 6) being in the now, and 7) inner peace of mind and a sense of fulfillment.
Intuitively, this feels absolutely right to me. However in my personal experience, I am finding it challenging to influence everyone in a team effectively. There are always individuals who either resist or do not contribute. I think there are other factors such as individual egos, personal agendas, pre-conceived notions, etc., coming into the equation, which inhibit their ability to be amenable.
In such cases, I tend to take the easier route more often than not – distance from those who I am not able to inspire/influence and seek those who I can connect with. This at times makes me look unforgiving and unyielding.
Any comments / alternate views? I will sincerely appreciate your thoughts.
Narayan K Murthy | narayan@goodseeds.in | +91 970.449.6664 | http://www.goodseeds.in
narayan k murthy 
An honest look at your own personal leadership style. When you say you are not able to effectively influence or inspire specific people, think about what you are holding on to perhaps in a rigid way. Try and see if you can bring in more flexibilty into that. This would be very tough as it would involve a subversion of your own ego.
Thank you. A nice suggestion and I will certainly try to introspect more and judge less. However in a fast-paced environment, it is too tempting to cut the losses early than to try and energize unproductive team members.
Reblogged this on Good Seeds.
This was interesting- especially Scouller’s framework.
Previously, when I work on a project and I notice that some of them disagree with me. I would ignore them if they don’t bother listening/showing any interest. I’ve realized that this can adversely affect the project because of some of the negativity around- So, I usually spend 1-1 time with them and build some rapport and try to sort things out. In some cases, it is quite frustrating. in such scenarios I think about how addressing this issue can be beneficial for the business.
I just went through Scouller’s blog site and would really like to read his book in depth. His framework is indeed interesting.
Leadership in a corporate environment differs considerably from elsewhere; I have found significant differences between that with my consulting world and now in a start-up realm. The motivations and aspirations of individuals in each of these scenarios vary significantly.
Yogakshemam vahamyaham – a beautiful advice from B.Gita, ‘ Do your work and leave the rest to me. I will carry the responsibility of your well being. ‘
Vijaya, what you say works in a personal setting. When it comes to realizing a business vision, everyone in a team should pull their weight and a leader should ensure that too, I feel. No individuals can be just passengers, when others in the team are driving their bit. If one person is not doing his/her bit, somebody else is stepping up and no one should enjoy a free-ride at another’s expense.