Leadership

I've been thinking a lot lately about leadership - what it is and what makes it good.

It seems to me that there are many leaders out there who aren't good leaders, or maybe they aren't truly leaders - just the people in charge.

Seth Godin, a marketing guru, discusses leadership in his book "Tribes." (An unorganized, impractical, and repetitive book but with some really inspiring thoughts. Kind of like paying $12 for a simple burger and the best part is a delicious bun...) He distinguishes leaders from managers: those who gather people together for a common cause compared with those who simply dictate to others what to do and how to do it. Godin also notes that one key characteristic of leaders is that they are selfless and put the mission above themselves. They also know how to connect people within the "tribe" of followers, know when to push ahead and when to take a step back from leading.

A selfless person who inspires with a clear vision, fosters the potential of his followers, and knows how to balance leaning in on and stepping back from his tribe? Sign me up for that tribe.

Godin's thesis is that anyone can be a leader. But if you ask me, too few people are great leaders. Then again, maybe there's actually a wealth of great leaders out there, each with his or her own small tribe.

What do you think is good leadership? Who is an example of a great leader?