This is also a full fledged interesting topic of conversation and it has many different meanings depending upon who you are and what you think about leadership. I just got out of a meeting where someone who is fronting and pretending to be a leader thinks that their leadership is just showing up at meetings, bringing their laptop, working throughout the meeting but never really knowing the deep issues involved in the business.
This is what I call a pseudo leader. They are a leader by default and by title only. They don’t really lead anything but think in their heads that they are a leader or project leader because someone gave them the title. If you ask them anything about the business, they simply do not know. They don’t know who’s on the team, who’s doing what, when things need to get delivered, what innovative technologies are used to deliver projects or anything. This is NOT a leader.
A true business leader is fully engaged and deeply entrenched in a project. They know enough about the details of the project to keep it running smoothly and efficiently. They know all of their true performers on the project and know what makes each of their team members click and perform at a top level. They have deep integration into the process and in most times have created the process and the system that the team is using.
If you want to become a true leader, learn project and team leadership skills. Don’t just take the title but not know how to be a true coach. The best coaches learn leadership. They don’t just have leadership by default and by title.
