Leaders Create the Conditions

Why Responsibility (Influence) > Authority (Control)

Leadership isn’t about authority—taking that approach immediately sows the seeds for a dysfunctional team and culture.

Leadership is about responsibility, a critical distinction.

Authority relies on holding power and issuing commands to achieve compliance and results (where people become resentful and hate coming to work).

It’s control-based, where behaviors are rooted in ego.

Responsibility creates accountability but removes the need for power. Instead, it shifts the paradigm from holding power to giving it—EMpowering others to make decisions and take ownership.

It’s influence-driven, where behaviors are rooted in values.

Making this shift creates a more fulfilling environment where people have a choice. Identifying a “good fit” for the team becomes more natural and evident.

Leadership isn’t about authority; it’s about responsibility.

When leaders let go of rigid control and instead focus on influencing their team to succeed, they create an environment where people feel trusted and empowered to take ownership.

When a team is given agency, they have a choice:

“Leaders create the conditions where people choose new actions.

The choices are voluntary. They’re made by people who see a new landscape, new opportunities, and new options.

You can’t make people change. But you can create an environment where they choose to.”

-Seth Godin, from Seth’s Blog

We can’t force change, but we can shape the environment so people see the value in choosing it. Leadership in this sense means:

• Setting a clear vision,

• Creating a culture where trust is the priority,

• Ensuring people feel seen, heard, and supported,

• Giving people ownership and creating accountability,

• Building momentum through small, iterative wins,

• Encouraging curiosity, and

• Leading by example
  

Pragmatic leadership isn’t about control (authority); it’s about influence (responsibility).

We don’t always have control, and that’s why it doesn’t work. Trying to force control where it doesn’t exist creates more problems.

Still, we always have influence, which allows us to lead with our values and principles and gives people the agency to decide whether or not they can commit to following our vision.

Teams thrive when the environment invites them to.

Our job as leaders is to create the conditions and issue the invitation.

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