In any area of leadership, your most important asset is the people you lead. The worth of this asset increases or decreases depending on how you treat the people you lead.

In the relationship between leader and follower the banking principle of deposit and withdrawal is consistently at work. When something positive is said or given to a follower, a deposit is made. When something difficult has to be said, such as talking to someone about poor job performance or consistent tardiness, a withdrawal is made. Things can go very wrong if the withdrawal turns out to be larger than previous deposits.

For a leader to continue increasing the worth of those she/he leads, intentional deposits into these relationships are essential.

Last week we looked at two ways a leader can influence her followers. One is by the use of power, authority and the control of the resources that come with leadership. The other way is by letting them know and feel respected, valued and trusted.

The latter way of influencing is far more difficult to achieve but far more rewarding both for the leader and the followers. When people feel trusted, respected and valued by their leaders, they will be motivated to do their best work.

Let us look at some key factors that are necessary to have the kind of influence that will motivate your followers to do their best work.

As a trainer and coach of leaders worldwide, John Maxwell made the saying, “leadership is influence” popular. But exactly what do we mean by leadership is influence?

One definition of influence is, “the capacity or power of persons or things to be a compelling force on or produce effects on the actions, behavior, opinions, etc., of others”

Influence can be derived from one of two places. The one is the use of power and authority that comes with leadership to influence the behavior and opinions you want. This kind of leadership by influence is using position and power that comes with leadership to manipulate the outcome you desire.

For the past two weeks, we have been looking at the survival guide to successful leadership. We have discussed a number of tools that are essential for any leadership role.

So far we have looked at things such as teachability, being a good listener, forgiveness, core values, delegation and communication. This week, let’s consider yet another skill that is crucial to successful leadership.

Successful leadership calls for a leader to be open minded and willing to change. Open-minded leaders are those who listen with sincerity to the opinions and suggestions of those they lead. It is destructive for any leader to believe that only their ideas are correct and should be unquestioned or unchallenged by those under their leadership.

Last week we looked at four survival skills for success as a leader: teachable, a good listener, the ability to forgive, and core convictions. As stated last week, without these skills, failure or mediocrity are likely outcomes.

This week, let us look at two more of these survival skills for successful leadership.

Delegation: Delegation is about the ability to relinquish responsibility to others. These responsibilities may include things that you either do not have the time or the ability to do well.

As in any great endeavor, not knowing what is required for survival or success can lead to failure.

We often hear about wilderness adventures where survival skills are needed in order to return alive.

The same is true for leaders: without knowing the survival skills of leadership, failure or mediocrity are likely outcomes. And no one wants to be known as a failure or mediocre leader.

I want to suggest a few survival essentials that every leader needs to succeed.

In last week’s blog post we looked at some of the warning signs that if ignored will lead to leadership failure. Many leaders either live with the regrets or consequences, or have quit leadership altogether because warning signs were ignored.

Knowing the warning signs is one thing; acknowledging those signs in your life is another. The process of acknowledging warning signs and taking action before it is too late often requires you to have a person or persons in your life who can tell you the truth about what they see in your life that has the potential to lead to failure as a leader and ultimately destroy you as a person.