I’m using the term “impactful leaders” on purpose. The various leadership definitions and descriptive terms are fine, but I want to focus on outcomes, hence impact. What follows are some examples of impactful leadership.
Let’s Define Leadership
I realize there are multiple definitions of leadership. Often, the definitions focus on terms such as influence, accomplishment, inspiration, or persistence.
In a story format, we often read about “the hero’s quest” as the leader overcomes great challenge.
Similarly, the leadership literature provides a long list of traits exhibited by “great” leaders. For example, leadership traits include: vision, insight, clarity of purpose, ability to motivate others, and being a team player who brings out the best in others.
Where do we find leaders? Well, in any number of occupations, including the military, business, educational administration, public service, and healthcare.
Leaders don’t always occupy the chief executive’s chair, but instead can be found throughout all levels of an organization. Or, they can be a single member on an athletic or performing team who inspires others around him or her to perform their best.
Impactful Leaders
I’m using the term “impactful leaders” on purpose. The various leadership definitions and descriptive terms are fine, but I want to focus on outcomes, hence impact.
Impactful leaders do just that. They have a lasting impact on individuals and organizations.
Thus, the critical issue isn’t their title. Instead, it’s the outcomes that the leader produces.
As such, impactful leaders aren’t remembered for great speeches, or raising lots of money, or winning the key battle in a war.
Instead, leaders are impactful because of how they make people feel. And for how they transform lives around them. Also, for how they leave an organization in a better place than before they came along.
Most telling, I think, is that impactful leaders may be forgotten, but the evidence of their contribution is long-lasting.
That lasting leadership impact lives on in the lives of those they worked with.
In a best-case scenario, impactful leaders are seeing the multiplication of their service into multiple generations of individuals who follow them.
According to Proverbs 20.28 leadership essentials include both mercy – being kind and fair, and truth – knowing and doing the right thing. Thus, impactful leaders are guided by personal integrity and a commitment to taking appropriate actions. proverbsforprofessionals.net
Some Personal Examples
Remember, we can have an impact on others in any number of ways. So, there isn’t one magical way to be impactful.
In turn, that means that during your lifetime several different people will likely step into the leadership role to have an impact on your life. And, more critically, have an impact on your personal, professional, and spiritual development.
Here are some examples, from my lifetime, of leaders who were impactful.
1). Business Skills
I learned the fundamentals of operating a business from someone who owned a retail store. That learning process extended through my high school and college years. Later in life, I used those capabilities in a number of settings across my professional career.
2). Bible Study Skills
Years ago, I was invited to participate in an early AM Bible study led by a pastor. I’ve used those fundamentals of exposition nearly every day in my personal Bible reading. I also used those skills as a teacher.
Most critically, I’ve applied those capabilities over the past six years in a study of Proverbs. As a result, I’m enjoying fulfillment by sharing that learning in my blog and on LinkedIn through daily posts.
3). Personal Integrity
My father taught me the value of loyalty, hard work, honesty, and fairness. Now, I didn’t always like the lessons, but those life skills are irreplaceable.
4). Career Growth
Several individuals above me in the chain of command were willing to mentor me and counsel me at various stages in my career. As expected, the conversations were at critical junction points when I made a transition and changed directions.
For example, when we were considering the option of entering a Ph.D. program, our pastor gave some very practical guidance about how to move forward with the decision. Later, a university president offered me direction as I was looking for career options outside where I was currently employed.
From Proverbs 22.29 we learn the importance of being prepared by building skill before opportunity presents itself. What’s the outcome for those who are prepared? They “stand before kings” thus have the opportunity to be an influence! proverbsforprofessionals.net
Examples of Impactful Leadership
Beyond personal impact, who are some examples of impactful national and world leaders I have witnessed?
Delta Airlines was criticized for their stance on a particular issue. The response of their CEO was that the company’s integrity wasn’t for sale. They took a financial hit rather than cave into pressure from narrow-minded politicians.
The president of the Ukraine has rallied his nation to stand against the lies, property destruction, and murders of the Russians. The outcome is unsure at the time of this writing, but that nation hasn’t folded against a much stronger opponent.
Some are impactful because they step up during a crisis. For example, landing an airplane in a river, then getting all the passengers out with no loss of life. After 9/11, Americans were unified around a common cause because of impactful leadership that focused on issues other than fear.
Some leaders never are named and it’s not clear exactly what they did. For example, a plane that was hijacked by terrorist crashed into a field rather than into a population center because of actions by the passengers.
Proverbs 29.2 points out that leaders who have integrity are a source of joy, whereas dishonest leaders are a source of deep concern. proverbsforprofessionals.net
Negative Impact
Can a leader’s impact be negative and destructive? Of course it can. Thus, examples of impactful leadership includes negative situations as well.
Multi-generational wealth and unchallenged power are often symptoms of problems to come later. That story is playing out now in the form of murder and reckless living in an attorney’s family in a neighboring state as he fights charges such as embezzlement.
Proverbs 27.23-27 discusses how multi-generational wealth requires constant attention because that privilege isn’t automatically extended from one generation to the next. proverbsforprofessionals.net
There are lots of examples of poor or dishonest leadership in business.
Think, for example, of how Sears and J.C. Penny were run into the ground by poor strategies. Or, Enron was destroyed by greed. The 2008 financial crisis revealed unprecedented levels of leadership arrogance.
Family brands like Howard Johnson and Stuckey’s were similarly mishandled.
Leaders who sell out to special interests, who repeatedly lie, and who attack the fundamentals of a healthy society are impactful. Worse yet, they may have a large number of followers, thus are influential. Unfortunately, their reputation will be one of destruction and disdain by those who think critically and have a moral center in their lives.
One way to spot this type of godless, hellish, self-consumed leader is to note how everything is always about them and their extreme views, rather than about the greater good for the organization or for society.
They can be the partner who destroys a marriage, just as easily as being the leader who destroys a company or a country.
Proverbs 28.2 points out that impactful leaders must be discerning. Unfortunately, destructive leaders are “many.” proverbsforprofessionals.net
Some Takeaways
Frequently, leadership impact is simply a one-on-one activity. For example, parent-to-child or teacher-to-student. A few leaders will impact many. But, most leaders have a narrow, but very impactful and long-lasting circle of influence.
Who has had an impact on you? How has their life impacted you? Answering questions like this will provide insights into your own personal development.
If we are discerning and are thinking critically, we are equipped to choose wisely who we allow to impact us. We are not obligated to blindly follow someone who is in authority but should question what we are hearing and seeing. Don’t forget the basic question: “Is that really true?”