Enlightened Leadership

by Elizabeth Gordon, Author of The Chic Entrepreneur

October 30, 2008

T he current election has everyone thinking these days about the people in charge – our leaders.  Leaders rule our world; they lead our businesses, our armies, and our social outreach projects.  Leaders decide whether to maintain the status quo or to chart a new course for change.  Leaders make decisions that impact the lives of many whom they have not met and may never know.  And leaders determine how the present will go down in history. 

What is takes to be a truly effective leader has changed over time as society has evolved. Early leaders used domination and power exertion. He who had the most money, wielded a larger sword or had the biggest army behind him became the leader.  Luckily, our modern day concept of leadership has changed.

In the more enlightened age in which we now live, leadership has become less about dominance and more about empowering the greater good. In business, managing people in an organization is no longer about monitoring them, but instead about unlocking their full potential and inspiring them to peak performance. Similarly leading a country well is about improving the lives of everyone in it, as opposed to attempting to achieve some illusive sense of global dominance. 

We have also thankfully evolved to realize that leaders are not necessarily a "he." While we can talk about masculine and feminine styles of leadership, a great leader has characteristics of both.  While men tend to more dictatorial in style and women more collaborative, great leaders merge the best of both worlds.  Men and women can embrace their own masculine and feminine sides and find a balance that works for them. True leadership has no gender, it has only its character upon which to prove its worth.

The current financial crisis has tested the character of our leaders and shown that money which was historically the most prevalent source of power (besides royal birthright), is no longer enough in a world where free information rules and transparency is demanded.  True leadership occurs when the sword is no longer necessary and followers flock willingly to the will of the leader, knowing that it will benefit all those concerned. 

Modern leadership has been transformed from getting others to serve you into becoming a servant of the people. This concept of servant leadership is in essence an example of applying the universal law of 'give and you shall receive' to power. By giving it away to those you are leading, you will ultimately end up with far more of it, thus accelerating the accomplishment of your own personal goals in a way that empowers the greater good of all. 

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Elizabeth Gordon is the founder of Flourishing Business and the author of The Chic Entrepreneur: Put Your Business in Higher Heels. For tips and tools and resources that will help you achieve flourishing success in your business, please visit www.chicentrepreneur.com