The Oars Of Leadership

Too much can be bad, but too little is also bad. We have heard this all the time through our lives. Too much salt in our diet can harm us, but too little will also. Drinking too much water can be dangerous, but drinking too little can certainly be just as bad. There has to be a good balance.

This is true in leadership. There is two types of leading: postional leadership and relational leadership. Postional is where one leads just out of his/her postion. As a boss in his factory is given power because of his postion over his employees. Relational is just that, the relationship between leaders and followers.

This is where the idea of the oars come. If any one has been out on a lake in a boat, there needs to be the right mix of the left oar and the right oar to get in the direction you need to go. Think of the left oar is positional leadership, and the right oar is relational. If you focus only on postional side of leadership (telling people what to do just because your postion gives you the power to do so) the boat will be going around in circles in the middle of the lake. If you use too much of the relational side of leadership (trying to be best friends with every one who is under you) once again you will be spinning in circles. A person needs to use both oars in the right amount to of each to have the most effective leadership. Use the resources your postion gives you bust alos get to know the people around you.