I will continue to build on the previous posts in developing the concept of viewing leadership opportunites against the backdrop of the leadership ladder.
Every time you accept a new position, change roles within your company, or bring new people into your organization, you begin as a positional leader. It doesn’t matter how successful you have been in your previous job or how much your reputation precedes you. You ALWAYS start out as a positional leader. The question or decision you have to make is will I take the easy road and stay a positional leader or am I willing to invest the personal and professional capital necessary to be better, to move down the ladder. Positional leadership is the starting point, the beginning, the entering argument, the entry level job. It is not designed to be a place where you stay for any length of time but merely a place to begin. The tragedy is that many people stay positional leaders.
When you become a parent, you are a positional leader with your kids. You know this is true because what parent hasn’t said, “You will clean your room because I’m you father and I am telling you to clean it!” Confession time, I’ve been there and done that. The room gets cleaned this time but you have to go through the same routine every time because they are following you only because of the POSITION you occupy. They have no choice. Parents that stay positional leaders are puzzled by the fact that their kids don’t solicit their advice later in life. Against the backdrop of the leadership ladder, it makes perfect sense. If you haven’t moved down through permission to production, you won’t have developed the relationship necessary to be a people developer or mentor. The same is true in your organization. People will follow you if you occupy a leadership position because they value their job. However, you will spend your time managing them, motivating them, and maintaining the status quo. People expect positional leadership but they desire something more.
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