The True Meaning of Leadership: Responsibility Over Influence

"After decades of dissonance, leadership scholars agree on one thing: They can’t come up with a common definition for leadership... The bottom line is that leadership is a complex concept for which a determined definition may long be in flux."

— Peter G. Northouse, Leadership: Theory & Practice 9th ed.

I was recently introduced to the works of James C. Hunter. As I am always on the lookout for different lenses through which to view my passion - the discussion of leadership - I was excited to add another Servant Leadership perspective to my wealth of experience, which already includes the ideas of Robert Greenleaf, Larry Spears, and Stephen Covey. However, after reading Hunter's work and conducting some research, I realized that Hunter's thesis throughout his career is that leadership is influence, nothing more, nothing less.

However, I must respectfully disagree with this perspective. Leadership is NOT merely influence, nothing more, nothing less. Influence can be bought, manipulated through social media, and derived solely through one's position; leadership, on the other hand, is developed over time through experienced character development. Leadership is far more than influence; influence is a residual effect of many leadership traits. It is incorrect to state that influence is the foundational element of leadership.

The fundamental characteristic of leadership is responsibility, not influence. It is a responsibility for yourself, those you work with, and your organization. As a leader, you are responsible for everything your organization does or fails to do. When your organization succeeds, that success is shared by everyone; when the organization fails, the responsibility for the failure rests with the leader.

To gain that responsibility, a leader must have a strong character. This character is built over time based on experience and wisdom. A leader's character is integral in setting an example for others, providing priorities for operational and strategic goals, building a sense of community, demonstrating empathy, promoting the skills of the members of their organization, and, most importantly, creating an environment where every team member feels valued, safe, and able to find and use their voice. Each of these activities builds trust within the organization, both for members and leaders, and the residual effect of those efforts is the gaining of influence.

People are the foundation of success. Trust is built by creating an environment where everyone understands the organization's goals and mission, knows their ideas count toward decisions and works in a safe environment of diversity and inclusion. Leaders build the trust that provides that type of environment. That sense of confidence grows over time, and eventually, the organization operates autonomously with a shared vision, mission, and objective. It is incumbent upon the leader to build and nurture that environment. There is a long road for leaders to travel to gain influence, and as stated in The Bible, Luke 12:48, 'To whom much is given, much is required.'

Hunter’s assertion can lead young leaders to believe that all they need to do is be popular, and they will have the ability to lead. One of the grossest overcharacterizations of that fallacy is how we choose our elected officials. In many cases, popularity polarizes the electorate, and choices are made casually versus logically. Our society learns this at an early age, in their first electoral experiences in high school student body elections, and for many, it carries on throughout life. The focus on influence keeps actual leadership traits hidden.

Leadership is about responsibility - and we must instill this in our rising generations if we wish to see a society that is genuinely inclusive, capable, competent, and safe.