After decades of research, many books/articles, courses and thoughts, we seem to continue the dialogue around leadership as a person rather than a set of behaviors or even an energy within an organization. As I reflect on both my own experience as a leader, my study of organizational leadership as an academic topic, and as I look at current organizational leaders I am coming to the conclusion that leadership truly is an energy and set of behaviors by someone within an organization, and it does not necessarily have to be the head of the organization. The difference is of course and the assumption is that the head of the organization is, or should be, responsible for those behaviors and that energy. But, if we see that it is the behaviors and the energy that are the critical pieces, then it does not require it be a single person.
The necessary behaviors and energies I am talking about are those that establish the functional and operational culture of the organization. That would include beliefs, values, commitments as well as communication, personal interaction, integrated functions, and such things as celebrations and significant symbols.
So, maybe a good next question might be, do we need the head of an organization to also be "the leader?"
