Leading with a little “l”


Leading with a little “l” 
For over 50 years in the United States one of the key issues in business, industry, government, in fact, all workplaces has been the change from boss to manager to leader. 



Many writers and researchers including John Gardner and Warren Bennis have tried to define and explain the differences among the three. 

 During the past 30 to 40 years the emphasis has been particularly on the movement or switch from managing to leading. The result of all the interest, research and writing has been the development of extensive training programs on Leadership, Leadership Skills and Leadership Styles. Organizations have spent millions of dollars on this training.

Most of the training has been based on research of famous and infamous leaders: Abraham Lincoln, Mahatma and Indira Ghandi, George Washington, Sit- ting Bull, Martin Luther King, Catherine the Great, Queen Victoria, Margaret Thatcher, even Attila the Hun. 

 In each case the focus has been on the leaders we hold up as “great leaders”, leaders of entire countries or at least entire corporations. 

 Often they have been heroes or heroines.

 My research and work with supervisors through executives has indicated that they are ordinary people and probably will never be “great leaders” of giant organizations or entire countries. My experiences and thoughts have shown me that 

 the situation, 
the timing, 
the followers, 
the needs or causes 

 all had great impact on the success of those “great leaders”. 

 Most people who lead a team, a typical department or an average company of 100 to 250 people would not be successful by using the “apparent” skills of “great leaders”.

Leading with a little “l” is done everyday by people dealing with other people, while attempting to complete everyday tasks ranging from the down-to-earth practical ones of a typical day to the

We’re Chargin’ Up?!  What Hill To Do What?! 

 leading with a little ‘l’
occasional dramatic or traumatic chal-lenges or catastrophes.

There are many leading skills and much to be learned about leading styles and following styles (or personalities). The four primary keys to effective leading as a leader with a little “l” are composed of the use of...

Logic 
Focus 
Pride 
Magic

Each of these represent 5 activities or skills each (20 total) that people who lead can and need to learn and coordinate to be successful as leaders with either a little “l” or leaders with a BIG “L”. 

 This chapter centers on an overview of differences between “great” leaders and leading with a little “l” and will emphasize how the use of 

 L.o.g.i.c.
F.o.c.u.s.
P.r.i.d.e.
M.a.g.i.c. 

 will help anyone effectively and productively lead in today’s workplaces. 

chapter in process/progress return to read the complete chapter

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