Helping leaders motivate their people to a higher level of performance through strong human relations, team building, and goal achieving. This is the seven Minute Leadership Podcast with your host Paul Fellovaledo.
Hello everyone, and welcome to the seven Minute Leadership Podcast. It's episode two fifty. Today we're going to discuss a topic that is both timely and controversial, one that every leader at every level needs to understand. It's about the two dominant types of leadership that we see in the twenty first century across governments, businesses, and social media platforms worldwide.
On one side, we have traditional leadership, the kind that has been built on historic norms, ethical values, and principles that have guided great leaders for generations. This type of leadership is grounded in integrity, responsibility, and service. It values the long term success of an organization, a community, or
even a nation over personal ambition. On the other side, we have a growing force power driven leadership, a form of leadership that prioritizes power, money, misinformation, and division over ethics and stability. This leadership style is not concerned with the long term health of a business, a society, or even a team. Instead, it focuses on influence at any cost, often through manipulation, fear, and self interest. So the question is simple, which leadership path are you on or following?
And this is personal to me because over the course of my working career, I have three names that come to my immediate mind of power driven leaders that I once worked for. I didn't stay long because it didn't mix well with my beliefs or personality, And in fact, in my current role, I've made sure to steer clear of the power driven traits that come with that style of leadership. So here we are. For centuries, leadership has been built on a foundation of respect, ethics, and responsibility.
Great leaders have understood that their role is not about accumulating personal power, but about building something greater than themselves. The key characteristics of traditional leadership include service over self. Leadership isn't about personal gain, It's about serving a purpose bigger than yourself. The best leaders focus on elevating their teams, organizations, in communities. They understand that leadership is a responsibility, not
a privilege, and ethical decision making. True leaders follow a moral compass. They make tough decisions not based on what's popular, but on what's right. They don't take shortcuts to compromise as their integrity or their organization's future and accountability. Leaders don't run from mistakes, they own them. They don't blame others or hide behind misinformation or manipulate people to avoid consequences. They lead by example, showing that accountability is a cornerstone
of trust in long term vision. Great leaders don't just think about the next quarter, the next election, or the next paycheck. They build organizations, communities, and cultures that will stand the test of time. And think about the leaders in history who have had lasting impact, whether they were political figures, CEOs, or community leaders. Their success was not built on deception or fear, but on trust, consistency, and
mission driven leadership. But today we're still witnessing a different style of leadership gaining traction, and that brings us to the rise of power driven leadership. Over the past few decades, leadership has shifted. We're seeing more leaders who reject traditional principles in favor of personal gain. They don't lead with service, but with self interest. They don't build organizations or teams that last. They manipulate and exploit to maximize short term influence.
And the traits to look for with this type of leadership style are manipulation over ethics. These leaders don't lead with honesty. They twist the truth, distort reality, and use misinformation to control people, whether in politics, business, or social media. They craft narratives that serve their personal agenda and fear and division. Instead of bringing people together, they create conflict. They make groups feel like they're in a constant competition
with one another, fostering an environment of distrust. They convince people that the only way forward is through conflict, not collaboration, and strength over its stability. Rather than leading with wisdom, they push a narrative that strength is about domination, not resilience. They believe the loudest voice wins, even if that voice lacks direction or reason in short term wins in long
term chaos. Power driven leadership often yields fast results. It makes headlines, it grabs attention, but over time it implodes. It creates instability, distrust, and an unsustainable culture that eventually collapses. We see this kind of leadership everywhere, from politicians who undermine institutions to CEOs who put profits over people, to social media influencers who manipulate their audiences for personal gain. And While this approach may work in the short term.
History proves that it never lasts. Leaders who build their influence on lies, fear, and division will eventually fall. So here's the challenge. What kind of leader do you want to be? Do you want to be the leader who builds trust, respect and long term impact, or do you want to be the one who seeks power by cutting corners, bending the truth, and leading through fear. Traditional leadership isn't always the quickest or easiest path, but it's the only
path to lasting success. It's how businesses survive for decades. It's how organizations earn the trust of their people. It's how teams become stronger, more united, and more resilient. So today I challenge you to reflect on your leadership style. Are you leading with integrity? Are you making decisions based on ethics and service? Or are you being tempted by shortcuts that may get you ahead today but will cost
you in the long run. Great leadership is not about control, It's about influence, and the most powerful influence you can have is built on trust, truth and service. So at the end of the day, leadership is a choice. Will you lead with integrity, accountability, and a long term vision, or will you take shortcuts, manipulate, and chase power at any cost. Traditional leadership builds trust and lasting success, while power driven leadership burns bright but eventually collapses. The best
leaders aren't the loudest or the most ruthless. They're the ones who serve, inspire, and create a legacy worth remembering. Please, above all else, lead the right way. This has been the seven minute Leadership podcast, and I thank you for listening.
For more, Paul Fell of Alito Podcasts, visit paulfellowalito dot com.