Leadership begins by taking an inner stance vis-à-vis external reality. These stances usually exist before the external need arises. Once the external need arises the basic stance of the person can turn him into a leader.

1. Leadership from the Inside Out
Aviad Goz – CVO, N.E.W.S.®
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Leadership has always been an area filled with mystery, vagueness and
speculation.
• Are you born a leader or do you become a leader?
• Do leaders respond to needs or situations in the right time and thus
become leaders?
• Is leadership based on character or is it based on behavior?
• Can anyone become a leader given certain circumstances?
Few other areas have been as thoroughly researched as leadership and
many theories have been written on the subject.
Some of the theories are based on behavior. For example: a leader who
inspires trust, a leader who conveys a vision, a leader who directs different
systems, a leader that cultivates talent (S. Covey 2008). The basic idea in
these approaches is that when a one performs these functions during their
work with other people they fill leadership functions and by so doing become
leaders.
Other approaches relate to behavior in certain situations – i.e. Situational
Leadership (Blanchard). Additional approaches are based on ethics or
character. These approaches claim that a leader has characteristics such as
responsibility, initiative, determination etc. Once a person has developed
these characteristics there is a chance that they will become a leader.
I would like to present a somewhat different approach to leadership in the
following article. This approach is based upon the idea of Leadership from the
Inside Out.
The basic idea is that leadership begins by taking an inner stance vis-à-vis
external reality. These stances usually exist before the external need arises.
Once the external need arises the basic stance of the person can turn him
into a leader.

2. According to this approach, the basic stances of a person who can become a
leader are:
A. I am responsible
A person who will become a leader perceives themselves as responsible for
the reality around them. They believes that even if they were not responsible
for the circumstances around them, they are responsible for coping with and
taking care of them. Their responsibility is not on a theoretical level but on a
practical and immediate one. They will never point to other people as. They
will not blame nor complain, and will take a responsible, practical stance that
revolves around their ability to influence and solve every situation at hand.
Gandhi is a great example of a person who was living in India which was
divided and split and ruled by the British Empire for hundreds of years.
Gandhi took upon himself the responsibility to solve this situation in a series of
complex and sophisticated moves that lasted many years.
B. I create future reality (myself)
A person who will become a leader believes wholeheartedly that they can
create a desired future reality. They do not focus on current reality, its
difficulties and its problems but current reality as a point of departure. Their
responsibility is creative. They create a vision from this position or a desired
future reality and then a path that will lead this reality. A leader considers
current reality as the raw material from which they can create a different one.
If this pe rson is consistent in their stance they will motivate others who want
the same future reality.
A good example of such leader is Martin Luther King who had a vision of a
different future reality for black people in the United States. This reality
materialized in the years that followed and culminated in the election of
Barack Obama for president.
C. I am leading
A person who will become a leader believes that the onus is on them.
Leadership is a movement from existing structures and situations to future
structures and situations. Movement necessitates energy and direction. A

3. leader takes the responsibility to lead and every act of leadership begins with
self leadership. Therefore, a leader is first and foremost focused on leading
themselves from undesired to desired situations and structures. Out of this
self leadership they establish a leader's presence. This presence enables
them, over time, to lead others as well towards a desired future reality. Thus,
the leader becomes a personal example of what they stands for.
They are not static - they initiate and motivate. Self motivation and external
motivation stem from two possible sources: the rejection of an undesired
present or the attraction of a desired future.
Examples of such leaders are:
Mother Teresa who grew in the slums of Albania and became the leader of a
global movement that aids lepers in India.
Jack Welch who became CEO of GE after starting as an engineer, leading the
company to spectacular results.
Lee Iacocca who grew up as a poor kid in the Bronx and became the leader of
Chrysler in its heyday.
D. I learn and I develop
A person who will become a leader believes that they learn and develop as a
way of life. That is to say, they are open and accept learning, feedback, self-
improvement and development. They do not become too personal or
emotionally involved in every success or failure, yet consider them as
opportunities for growth. This increases the trust they get and the ability of
others to cooperate with them. This stance enables a leader to grow prior to
becoming one as well as to grow and develop throughout their leadership
years.
Thus, they improve over time.
An example of such a leader is Nelson Mandela. As a young man Mandela
was incarcerated as a terrorist for the ANC. During his years in prison he
learned and developed and became an ethical and moral leader who could
bring the Apartheid government down without violence, revenge or grudge.

4. E. There is potential greatness in me and in others
A person who will become a leader believes that people have greatness that
did not find their expression yet. They see it in themselves and therefore they
are capable of growing, developing and becoming "greater". They see this
also in others. A leader believes that people can bring more of themselves -
more help, more contribution and more motivation. A part of their leadership is
about enabling people to express their greatness and potential on the way
towards a better reality.
This stance also provides the people around the leader with a space to
perform, contribute and develop and this attracts other people. This stance is
also the basis of charisma - "God's gift" in Greek.
It is said that leaders have charisma - a special divine gift.
Nevertheless, every person comes with an assortment of gifts from birth:
different abilities, different skills.
A leader is someone who identifies God's gift within themselves - the talent,
the ability and the greatness. This identification enables them to increase the
presence of this greatness, work with it, and create with it, until it is
recognized by others.
These five principles form the inner stance that evolves into leadership.
The Hebrew root of leadership consists of the letters n.h.g.
Interestingly, three Hebrew words that characterize leadership begin with
those letters: presence, leadership, greatness.
Out of these stances a person can encounter a reality and become a leader
by transforming this reality into a desired future reality. Throughout this
process the leader undergoes transformation as well and translates these
stances into actions.
The performance of a leader derives from these stances and they do not
digress from their path despite the traps along the way.
The way of the leader involves many traps. If the leader falls into these traps
then they will not become true leaders. These traps include:

5. A. The ego trap - leadership is not about ego. Leadership is always focused
on leading towards a certain vision, a certain potential. It is focused on
something that is bigger than the person. A focus on the ego and its
importance, leads to a pathetic and dangerous kind of leadership. Therefore,
we see that in great leaders there is basic simplicity and humility. They
consider themselves as a tool or a catalyzing agent that enables the desired
reality to materialize.
David ben Gurion is an example of a humble leader who led to the
establishment of the state of Israel and the creation of the Jewish state and
was modest and humble.
B. The popularity trap - rating is the antithesis of leadership. A leader does
not lead towards rating. A leader does not care for popularity either. Their role
is to lead and materialize the things they believe in and stands for. Their zeal
and inspiration do not require any rating.
C. The image trap - modern day leaders need a leader image. This image
consists of clothing, behavior, status symbols and so on and so forth. The
leader is surrounded by image consultants who create the desired image they
want according to their opinion and "public opinion." This trap is related to the
former two traps. Great leadership does not require an image (Ben Gurion,
Gandhi, Mandela), it operates from the inside out and not from the outside in.
D. The zigzag trap - a leader leads to a clear destination. He does not zigzag
according to popularity, circumstances or other people's opinions. A
zigzagging leader generates mistrust and undermine their own leadership.
E. The power and corruption trap - "Power corrupts - absolute power
corrupts absolutely." This nice Latin adage is relevant even today. Many
leaders forget this concept once they reach a senior managing position. They
become intoxicated by power and strength. They deal with corruption and lose
their vision and sense of mission along the way. In the next stage, they invest
all their energy in preserving their status and position along with the material
benefits that accompany their position (Idi Amin, Robert Mugabe, Nicolae
Ceaușescu and many others).

6. A leader can avoid these traps by staying alert and aware while focusing
extensively on the vision and the situation at large. Such leaders lead
businesses, organizations and nations towards a better future.