How Important is a Leader's Influence?

A Manager storms into the daily stand up meeting for the team. He is grunting and takes a seat at the head of the table.  The room is silent.  Some are looking down at their phones, some are looking at their paper but no one looks up.  How many times have we seen this in our careers. 

    We are all connected though our emotions and desires to be a part of a group.  Within this group dynamic a leader emerges and can affect the perspective of the followers within these groups.  As a group it is easy for the followers to pick up on the emotions of the leader. This is why it is essential for leaders to incorporate mindfulness in their skills.   Emotional Intelligence is extremely important for a leader to possess.  A leader can convey their feeling to the group to create a positive or a negative atmosphere within the group.  

  The leader needs to be aware of the power that they possess and be extremely aware of where they are guiding their followers.  It is easy for a leader to be seduced by the power and outside influences.  This is why it is important that a leader be grounded in their beliefs and the vision and mission of the organization or team. Their perspective can have a profound effect of the followers.  Moral obligation and the development of the leader is an essential part of creating an environment that is productive.

A leader’s style of leadership can be the win or losing point of a team.  Leaders that create an empowering structure by supporting team members and creating a stable environment for them to work within are more likely to create success within their organization.  To achieve an empowering structure, the person responsible for forming the team must pay attention to team functions; team member roles, responsibilities, and competencies; team size and stability; and the role of team leadership. “Numerous researchers have discussed the importance of tending to the team’s social environment” (Fleishman et al., 1991; Hackman & Walton, 1986; Marks et al., 2001), and social roles have consistently emerged as critical in team contexts (see Mumford et al., 2006, for a summary).

        

             As a leader the responsibility to maintain dignity, composure, empathy and consistency is extremely important to the dynamic of the group.  The actions of the leader have a direct connection to the follows.