Leadership Is a Social Act: Why Influence Starts With Listening

A common thought question asks, “If a tree falls in the forest and no one is around to hear it, does it make a sound?” A leadership equivalent might be, “If you make every decision alone and don’t ask for input, are you a leader?”

Leadership is a finicky thing to nail down, but the activity is inherently social. Indeed, you can’t be a leader if there is no one around to lead. So, to what extent does a leader need to hear from their people to be considered a leader? Let’s look at some ways leadership has been defined:

“Power is the capacity to influence others; leadership is the exercise of that capacity.” – W. Warner Burke, Professor of Psychology and Education

“People who are truly strong lift others up. People who are truly powerful bring others together.” – Michelle Obama, Former First Lady of the United States

“Speaking roughly, by leadership we mean the art of getting someone else to do something that you want done because he wants to do it, not because your position of power can compel him to do it, or your position of authority.” – Dwight D. Eisenhower, 34th U.S. President

“Ultimately a genuine leader is not a searcher of consensus but a molder of consensus.” – Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Baptist minister and civil-rights activist

Each one of these definitions implies or outright states that leaders make decisions WITH the input of others. To influence, and bring people together, without compulsion through power, to mold consensus.

Leadership is a social endeavor. When you bring folks into the conversation, leverage their expertise, consider their perspective, and decide together, you lead.