In our previous Blogs, we’ve indicated that we believe leaders are built from the inside out and that their ways of thinking set the stage for how they will perform as leaders.  In this entry, we want to introduce the first way of thinking, which is:  A leader in balance approaches leadership as a relationship, not a position.  By this we mean that leaders in balance don’t think they can persuade people to follow them simply because of their title or place in the organizational hierarchy.  Instead, leaders in balance think that it’s important to be an active listener, listening to understand what others want and need.  This is what allows leaders in balance to influence others, which shows respect.