The dynamic between being a leader and leadership is a fascinating phenomenon that is complex and abstruse. Being a leader and having leadership are dynamically different. A leader is a person who holds a position that bears responsibility for being accountable for achieving results, but in that position, they often confuse authority with influence. French and Raven (1959, 1965) theorized the basis of power for social influence. Leaders always strive for social power to wield influence, and they often mistake authority as the key tactic and practice to persuade people to do what they want. Leaders leveraging authority fail, and they are confused. The confusion occurs because they lack intrafunctioning development (i.e., internal development). The leader fails to influence people effectively and, in desperation, grasps their authority because of the failure of their interfunctioning (i.e., external behaviors). Authority is a weak premise with extreme limits in its influence and what it can accomplish because it ignores the internal growth of the individual. Authoritarian leaders confuse their authority with their ability to influence. They mistakenly believe that their position gives them influence, but it doesn’t, and failure is inevitable.
The difference between influence and authority is significant yet clandestine. Deep down in the heart of the authoritarian leader is the realization that they don’t have what they need to influence people. Something is missing inside them because they aren’t succeeding like they thought or hoped they would. Often, leaders double down on their authority rather than their responsibility and accountability, which is a leader’s most destructive choice. The abuse of authority usually indicates that a leader can’t influence themselves or others to the necessary performance levels to achieve success. The reckless use of authority is destructive, painful, and unnecessary. Instead of expressing humility and learning to bear responsibility and be accountable, they have skipped the learning process, and in arrogance, they exercise more authority. They say things like, “I’m the leader,” “I’m in charge,” and “It’s my name on the building!” Authoritarian leaders have one thing that gives them away—they tell people what to do. They are the lid over the imagination and innovation of their people’s performance. Authoritarian leaders limit their people by limiting their capacity and capability to function fully. Authoritarian leaders sustain dysfunction rather than the full functioning of themselves and their people.
Based on the premise of the leader and leadership dynamic (i.e., positional authority vs. influence), the true path to being influential is to be a Centered Leader. Deep down in the heart of the Centered Leader is the realization that they don’t have what they need to lead people. They choose to be humble, realizing they need to improve and help their people improve, and that is the single most enhancing choice a person makes as a leader. Influence has two sides: 1). the inner self, and 2). the outer self. Centeredness manifests from aligning the inner self with the outer self, allowing one’s authenticity to emerge as a significant influencer that empowers oneself and others to be fully functional. Bennis (1989) conveyed that becoming a leader is the same as becoming an integrated human being. How do you become an integrated leader? Integrate with your inner and outer self and become a centered leader.
The inner self comprises the intrafunctioning of personality and behavior, while the outer self comprises the interfunctioning of vision and growth. The integration of your inner and outer self is manifested in a fully functioning individual from which a Centered Leader operates. The function of leadership is the most persuasive power in the world, specifically in organizations where that power impacts the quality of life of every individual working at the organization. Leaders impact society at the local, regional, national, and global levels. Today, organizational leaders make large amounts of money, leverage more power, and pull more clout than ever. Nevertheless, leaders fail their organizations, people, and society.
The other side of leadership is a transformation to centeredness. To become a centered leader, you’ll need to develop four dimensions of influence divided into two parts: how you influence yourself and others. You influence yourself through the dimensions of awareness and connection. You influence others through empowerment and performance, which are underpinned by the first two dimensions, your awareness and connection.
French, J. R. P., Jr., & Raven, B. (1959). The bases of social power. In D. Cartwright (Ed.), Studies in social power (pp. 150–167). University of Michigan.
Bennis, W. (1989). “Managing the Dream: Leadership in the 21st Century”, Journal of Organizational Change Management, Vol. 2 No. 1, pp. 6-10. https://doi.org/10.1108/09534818910134040.
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