Over the last six months our group of developing leaders have been overwhelmed by the rigors, stresses, and never ending responsibility that true leadership requires.  What if, in addition to these leadership demands, your people were paid more than you? Would that change your desire to lead or would your commitment remain the same?

Many people choose to pursue leadership because they equate it with power, personal riches and lucrative compensation packages, but in order to lead, you must have followers; willing followers and that can only come from a purpose greater than yourself. Power and compensation packages without purpose creates rulers, not leaders.

Leaders often end up with well deserved recognition and the financial rewards that so other people envy, but for a true leader, these are byproducts of an unbroken commitment to a purpose bigger than themselves.  These secondary rewards look sexy to the naive onlooker who mistakes them for the driving force behind successful people, when in fact they have zero impact on the true leader’s actions, commitments and willingness to sacrifice for the greater good of their cause.   Great leaders are on a never ending pursuit to change the course of history, ignite the greater good in society or as Apple founder Steve Jobs said, “We’re here to put a dent in the universe. Otherwise why else even be here?”

A desire to affect change is the driving motivation of all true corporate, government, political, and social leaders.   But as Malcolm Gladwell said recently at the 2011 World Business Forum here in New York, “leadership is rare.”

Are you driven by purpose or pay?

Dirk Gorman,

Capable Leadership LLC,