Spirit of Leadership

THE SPIRIT OF LEADERSHIP

to craft my own comprehensive definition of leadership as I have come to understand it. This definition incor porates the principal ingredients and components that I believe give birth to and sustain true leadership and can be applied by anyone who desires to discover and release the hidden leader within. The following is my definition of leadership, which will serve as the working definition of leadership throughout this book: Leadership is the capacity to influence others through inspiration motivated by a passion, generated by a vision, produced by a conviction, ignited by a purpose. THE PRIORITY OF INSPIRATION A careful study of this definition will reveal that lead ership is not a pursuit but a result. Under this definition, the word leader is not a label that you give yourself. Leader is what the people whom you inspire call you because they are stirred to participate in the positive vision that you are presenting them—whether it is the vision for a coun try, a company, or a cause. Leadership is a privilege given by the followers. The great Jewish rabbi, Jesus of Nazareth—the ultimate model of effective leadership—inspired his chosen fol lowers so much that they left their businesses and, for a time, their families, in order to follow him. He never threatened them or forced them to come, but he inspired them and then invited them to join him. A further study of this definition will also reveal the priority of inspiration in the development of a leader and his leadership. In fact, true leadership is one hundred

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