What is a Leader?

What is a leader? Truth is, there are several definitions. It depends on how people think of the person or people leading a team, a company, a family. As CommScope’s Mark Alrutz explains, there’s a common thread in the secret of success.

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As I began thinking about leadership, and how it might be applied to a company or observed in the marketplace, I was driven back to definitions. What is a leader? As you might guess, the number of opinions and definitions is staggering, but there is one common thread. Leadership is about people who help others succeed.

Have you known an exceptional leader that has had an impact on you personally or professionally? I have had the honor of knowing many – some formally and others only as I came to recognize them later. They are all different, but all had a hand in making me successful at something, sometime when I needed them.

CLICK TO TWEET: What makes CommScope an industry leader?

CommScope’s Leadership

CommScope is an organization of people, more than 20,000 strong, serving thousands of people in hundreds of companies. While we are a unified team, we measure our success and our impact one relationship at a time: one conversation with a design engineer, one expedited order to help a project manager, one unexpected solution that helps bring a build in under budget. This is how leaders emerge, one relationship and one success at a time. Some lead large organizations. Some lead a team. Some lead a family member or friend. The key is attending to the individual and driving for success.

In the crush of daily responsibilities, it is easy to miss the leaders around us. The Chinese philosopher, Lao Tzu, once stated, “as for the best leaders, the people do not notice their existence,” and “when the best leader’s work is done, the people say, ‘We did it ourselves!’” I mentioned earlier that some leaders I only recognized later. I also recognize them as the best.

For a company, there are several types of public leadership. A customer may know us as a leader in one market, but not realize we are also a leader in other markets as well. You may be familiar with our leadership role in broadband cabling, but not with our leadership role in fiber connectivity. Or perhaps you know us as a leader in wireless technology and solutions, but are not aware of our solutions portfolio for the enterprise.

Our Proven Record

Is CommScope a technology leader? Yes, with more than 10,000 global patents and patent applications and product performance that has driven standards in wireless, copper and optical connectivity for decades. Do we lead in cost-effective solutions? Yes, with innovative solutions that drastically reduce installation time and complexity. Is CommScope a service leader? Yes, with online and live training programs and unmatched partner support worldwide.

But do these competencies make CommScope a leader? I would argue that it is the quieter and individual customer interactions with our thousands of employees that make that determination. A leader is an individual, or in this case, a corporation of individuals, who are dedicated to making other individuals succeed. It is when we do that, we lead.

How can we help you today?