Leadership is a VERB, not a NOUN!
Leadership is a verb, not a noun. To be more specific, it is an action verb!
Understanding the multidimensional construct of leadership can be difficult since the definition may vary with a broad spectrum of characteristics and often complex frameworks attempting to establish the relationship between individuals, organizations, or systems. In simplified terms, there are many different ways to define a leader and leadership.
One consistent is that the terms “leader” and “leadership” are almost always used as nouns describing the person or the activity based on various categories and characteristics that differentiate the terms.
My stance is that leadership is important, but let’s shift the lens.
While I was at Harvard, I was a student of Ronald Heifetz, the father of “Adaptive Leadership” who laid the foundation for this theory and began looking at the construct of leadership as an action verb. He moved away from looking at the individual conducting the orchestra to the individuals playing the instruments. Heifetz suggests “adaptive leadership is the practice of mobilizing people to tackle tough challenges and thrive” (Heifetz et al., 2009, p. 14). He additionally discusses heavily the differentiation between leadership and authority. This definition marks the beginning shift away from leadership as a noun, and focuses on how the individual leading helps others do the work and adapt concurrently to the challenges they face, adjusting to new circumstances.
We can take this a step further, though, and further refine this by removing the individual and focusing further on the action.
The concept of Authentic Leadership is new with multiple definitions written by different view points. One of the viewpoints is from the interpersonal perspective focused on what goes on within the leader including self-knowledge and self-concept. The other approach is from the interpersonal perspective looking at the relational process of authenticity being brought from a leader to the followers.
I take all of these perspectives and move towards defining Authentic Leadership as a verb here any individual exercises power to create a safe space or a culture to empower people to bring their true selves forward. This in turn bring more of their value forward, which is a value for all as we create better strategies, policies, and decisions.
Being a leader is not a promotion. It is not a position. It is a verb in the creation of authentic spaces, and with a room full of individuals practicing Authentic Leadership making domains that foster this type of culture, we will begin our transformation to a society full of value-based inclusion.
