Larry Garfield's Words: The Definition Of Leadership

What is Leadership? Webster’s Dictionary defines leadership as “The power or ability to lead other people”. This means that all leaders do is lead people with the authority to do so, but leadership means much more than that for others. Everyone has a different opinion on what it means to be a leader and how to effectively be one. In Larry Garfield’s words “Leadership is about 3 things: To listen, to Inspire and To Empower”. There are many aspects to leadership that words simply cannot define. Motivation is a key factor in successful and efficient leadership. A leader inspires and motivates their men and women to do the best they can in everything they do. But Leaders have to be able to motivate themselves first in order to be able to motivate and inspire others. Leaders recognize when someone is having a bad day or aren’t making the cut and they help them no matter the cost, they motivate them to keep trying and push through. “Motivation gives others the will to do everything they can to accomplish a mission” (Marine Corps 1). This states that when somebody is motivated enough for a task or mission they will try their best to accomplish it in the best possible way they can. Although leadership styles vary between leaders, at the core, good leaders motivate their people

According to Forbes “When you care about your employees, they tend to work harder and aim to exceed your expectations” (Llopis 1). This quote states that listening to your men and addressing their needs will help build trustworthy relationships between each other which will not only motivate, but it will also grant an increase in quality work, and a sense of being cared about and belonging. By engaging yourself, being empathetic and showing that you care will help build a trustworthy relationship between your subordinates which is a great factor in