It May Be Easier Than You Think

Is it just ME, or do (did) you, too, think that to be a leader meant having to do extraordinary things?

Leadership is not over-rated, though often misunderstood.  Here’s why… We live in a world of excess.  It seems everyone is declared “the best”, “the most beautiful”, “the smartest”, “the richest” and we confuse these accolades (often self-proclaimed) as signs of leadership.

Not necessarily so. Some of the best leaders I have known and admired remain somewhat nameless in the grand scale of things.  They made a mark in the world: they were mothers, teachers, and nurses.  They attended meetings, served in soup kitchens, stayed up late to get things done. They were highly thought of and their absence leaves a void.

But were they leaders?  Yes – and in every sense of the word.  Here’s why:  they influenced others.  They influenced children, students, patients.  They supported, encouraged, and nurtured.  That, my friend, is to lead.

Never underestimate your ability to lead by assuming it takes more than is does.  Never use that perception as an excuse not to assume a leadership role.

Rarely is “a leader” “the leader”, meaning that they lead in all ways.  We have specialties, areas of expertise, different frames of reference, and different life experiences. We are individually great and individually worthy.

A plaque hangs in my office that reads:

So, IS it just me, or are you ready to put on your big girl shoes and pave a new path?

You’ll never have followers if you refuse to lead.