In this episode, Kelly Chickos, Senior Manager of Global Learning and Development at STERIS Corporation, defines leadership.
Episode Transcript
Introduction
Welcome to Leadership Quick Takes from The Center for Leadership Studies. In this episode, Kelly Chickos, senior manager of global learning and development at STERIS Corporation, defines leadership. For the Center for Leadership Studies, here’s your host, Sam Shriver.
Sam Shriver
So, how exactly do you define leadership?
Kelly Chickos
Having been in learning and development for two decades, I would definitely use the word influence, just as Dr. Hersey used the word influence to describe leadership. And what’s unfortunate is, if you listen to Ted Talks and other podcasts, what happens that’s kind of scary is that people define leadership as doing great things. Like they use Martin Luther King as an example, and Bill Gates and, yes, great leaders. But sometimes, it becomes so overwhelming for people that they need to do these great and heroic things in order to be considered a leader. And the reality is you can be a leader every single day in how you’re influencing. So it’s not about the title that you have. It’s about what you do. So the kid that addresses another kid that’s bullying and tells a bus driver, that’s leadership.
And that’s what our culture really needs, is that day-to-day leadership. And that’s what can happen through influencing and being very thoughtful about who you’re leading and what do they need from you as the leader. We work so hard to demystify the impression that you have to have a title in order to be a leader. And so often, people think that a title of leadership gives you more power to make decisions. The reality is that your leadership skills give you the power to influence decisions. And it’s really helping people understand the day-to-day milestones in how they can influence. They have to convince themselves in what they’re doing that they are a leader.
Conclusion
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