by Karolyn Hart

“”YOU are a leader!”

How does that statement sit with you? Do you feel it’s true? Untrue? You wish it were true? Are you thinking that maybe someday it could be true?

When most people think about leadership they think of the famous leaders or extremely powerful leaders.  There are two kinds of leaders that exist in the world - Positional and Influential.  No matter where you are currently in life you either  fall into one of these categories or are being impacted by one of these types of leaders.

Positional Leadership
Every single one of us have experienced this type of leader.  This type of leader is listened to because the people around them “have” to listen to them and is based on your “title” or the “power” you have been given for any number of reasons. 

Positional leadership is not easy.  Ask any parent or teacher about being a positional leader and they will tell you first hand how incredibly difficult it is to get someone to do something simply because of their authority. 

The essential problem with positional leadership is that it doesn’t mean you are respected.  In the workplace, this type of leader is enough to make any sane employee run for the hills and never look back. As a student of a positional teacher the lack of motivation to learn becomes abundantly clear. As a parent, the impact can be severe as children are meant to feel inferior instead of learning how to appropriately respect and listen.  The problem is that “positional” leaders whether parents, teachers, or leaders in any organization are often unaware of how they are completely ineffective.

You may be at risk of being a “positional” leader if…
… you find yourself saying statements like “do as I say, not as I do”.
… you believe that a certain “title” or “acknowledgement” means you will be taken more seriously.
… you believe that you deserve respect because of “who” you are.
… you believe that those who are “younger” or who have “less experience” are beneath you in any way.

Influential Leadership
Unlike positional leadership that is dependant upon a specific role being placed upon a person - influential leadership can occur no matter who you are.

Let me reiterate that last statement: “Influential leadership can occur no matter who you are.”

Some of the most powerful leaders sitting within an organization right now may have absolutely no one reporting to them.  It is easy to spot an influential leader.  Most often, they are the ones that people think of first when they have a question - about anything.

Influential leaders may not identify themselves as “leaders” at all. In fact, they may not even fully understand the influence and impact they have. 

I was fortunate in my life; I was raised by two influential leaders.  It was easy to respect my parents because of how authentic they were while they raised me.  They didn’t behave one way in private and another in public.  If they said they were going to do something - they did.  They lead by example in how they treated others and what they expected of us children.  This consistency increased their influence and allowed me to enter into a deeper relationship with them.  While it is true they had “positional leadership” because of who they were, they made the decision to not use that title to get their way.  They understood that in order to influence their actions had to demand respect.

Influential leaders come in all shapes and sizes. They are the CEOs of large organizations and Janitors working after hours.  They understand the measure of influence they have will remain constant no matter what job, title, or position they hold in the future.

You may be a positional leader if…
… you find yourself saying statements like “I never ask anything of others I’m not willing to do myself.”
… you believe you must earn the respect of those you work with every day.
… you believe that actions speak louder than age, title, position, or words.
… you would turn down a big promotion if it meant compromising who you are as an individual.

Your Leadership Type
“YOU are a leader!”

Whether you realize it or not you are “influencing” those around you every day.   As stated earlier most positional leaders are completely unaware and in some worst case scenarios actually believe themselves to be influential leaders.

So how do you know?

Here are two types of tests that you can do to determine the leadership types.

Workplace: Test for Leaders
If you are in a position of leadership and trying to gauge who your influential leaders are in your organization the best way is to simply begin having conversations with employees about the leaders over them. Here’s what to look for:

1. Short Answers
Understand that most employees will not say anything bad about their managers for fear of repercussions.  When employees work for a “positional” leader and are directly asked about what they think of them, they will often given short flat answers such as ”He or she is great.” or ”I can’t complain.”

2. Results Focused
When asked to expand they will often focus in on the work rather than the individual person.  Instead of talking about character traits they may begin to make statements such as: “We’re very efficient.” or “I’m sure the plans will be great in the future.”

3. Enthusiasm
In contrast, when interviewing a team of an influential leader that is well respected, you will find the enthusiasm in place and willingness to not only talk about the work being completed but the direct person. 

If all else fails look for references in your own personal life and consider how people talk about those they respect versus those they “must” respect.  If you are struggling here is a fun test to always provide you with a point of reference.

The “Mother-in-Law” Test
Think about a man who loves his mother-in-law versus the man who has a monster-in-law talking about his relationship with the mother of his wife…
…at a family dinner
…with the mother-in-law in the room listening.

Personal: Self-Assessment Test
If you are trying to determine whether you are a “positional” leader or an “influential” leader, here is a quick test to help you evaluate.  Simply answer True or False to each question. 

Filed under: Author Karolyn, Life, Work