Are we looking at leadership from the wrong perspective?

It's widely accepted that leaders can operate at any level, it's not just a 'top of the pyramid' position, however they generally influence vertically rather than horizontally. LEADERSHIP, however should perhaps be considered a horizontal business capability. LEADERSHIP is the KINSHIP of people who share a responsibility to coordinate and coalesce their areas of responsibility into something of value for a business and its customers (internal and external) under the direction of a Leader. How well they do this defines the success of the business. It's a layered capability that Leaders coordinate at various levels.

When we observe dysfunctional leaders it is usually due to their inability to create the right LEADERSHIP 'level' or culture below them, Their 'direct reports', their LEADERSHIP team are not coordinate, they are not aligned, the culture is often antagonistic. Too often Leaders play direct reports off against each other, the competition is corrosive and ultimately destructive. If you want to be a great Leader, then you need to understand how to create great a LEADERSHIP capability and culture; and that means you have to develop people the right way.