What is Leadership?

Ironically, "indescribable" is a word used to describe leadership.

Leadership starts with a thought and resonates in personal mastery, in the fellowship of community, and in the practice of transforming our world.

The qualities of leadership show themselves in personal traits that are reflected in how we honour ourselves, our partners and our universe, because leaders are drawn to paths of service that have global consequences.

Everyone has leadership potential but a leader with intention peers through the lens and sees the possibilities against seemingly impossible odds.

We have no way of measuring the power of a single thought, yet what we each bring to the Odyssey Leadership Centre becomes the centre, the starting point, of the next leg of the evolving journey.

There is a school of thought that proposes that no one is very much more conscious than everyone. If we follow the thread of this idea, it places us all in an evolutionary path of leadership - literal and potential. As every leader moves forward to his or her next step, he / she leaves footsteps behind, which will be quickly filled. In this way, and especially as we practice the power of group leadership, the whole can move forward exponentially.

So, in fact, as a natural process, we are all leading and we are all following, all the time. As others model for us, we in turn model for others - someone is always watching us and we are always watching others. If this is true, and we are leading anyway, it would be wise to lead with awareness and intention. Leadership is co-creative and makes people want to achieve high goals and objectives, while those in charge tell people how it is done.

Bernard Bass, in his book From Transactional to Transformational Leadership; Learning to Share the Vision, he describes his theory that there are three basic ways to explain how people become leaders. The first two explain the leadership development for a small number of people. These theories are:

Some personality traits may lead people naturally into leadership roles. This is called the Trait Theory.

A crisis or important event may cause a person to rise to the occasion, which brings out extraordinary leadership qualities in an ordinary person. This is the Great Events Theory.

People can choose to become leaders. People can learn leadership skills. This is the Transformational Leadership Theory. It is the most widely accepted theory today and one of the premises on which the offerings of the Odyssey Leadership Centre are based.

The foundation of good leadership is honorable character, dedication, and service to your community or organization. In the eyes of the members of your community, your leadership is everything that you do that affects the well being of community and each of its members.

What makes a person want to follow a leader? People want to be guided by those they trust & respect, who have a clear sense of direction, and convey, through inspiration and modeling, a strong vision of the future. Of equal importance, people want to follow a leader from whom they feel, trust, respect and appreciation.

Throughout this site and through services and programs offered by the Odyssey Leadership Centre, we will explore and experience a variety of personal and collective ways to enhance our intentions, our awareness, our skills , our supports and our practices of leadership.

As each of us grows, so we all will grow, shaping our future in conscious connection.

Legacy Leadership® is the licensed trademark of CoachWorks International, Inc. Dallas Texas, USA. Brenda Chaddock is a licensed Legacy Leadership Facilitator. Find out about this training and certification oppportunity here.

Find out who is a leader and who you are as a leader here.