What does Leadership mean to YOU?
How would you respond if someone were to ask you “What does Leadership mean to You?” It seems like it’s not a question that can be answered immediately. It’s a question that begs for time in order to gather a huge amount of data from the vast number of experiences each of us have had where we either found ourselves in a leadership role or found our life impacted by someone else’s leadership.
Honestly, we experience both of those scenarios several times each day of our lives as a parent, a student, a worker, and a boss. Also, when we volunteer as a coach, a mentor, or whenever we perform an act of kindness. Don’t forget about when we attend church, being a member of a civic or special interest club, or any kind of a team. We experience both leadership roles with our parents, first when we’re young and they’re leading us, and second when they’re old and we find ourselves leading them. Makes me think all of us should be more aware of the thought processes associated with leadership and how we can maximize the impact value leadership plays in our lives.
As I’ve reflected on my own personal leadership journey, I realize that I’ve always sought out people whose leadership style I’ve admired and engaged them with questions regarding their own leadership development journey. I’ve had people share with me that their parents were influential, that a Toastmasters Club helped hone their leadership skills, that local Leadership programs had a huge impact on their leadership development, and that nearly all of them found great value reading books on leadership. I’ve come to realize that I’ve never really developed a leadership style of my own, rather, I’ve modeled the people whose leadership skills I’ve most admired through the years.
I’ve been in love with public speaking for a long time. My ability to deliver a memorable speech improved when a friend of mine shared that while it may be difficult to remember exact data, quotes, diagrams, or specifics when you hear the best speakers give a speech, you always remember how they made you feel, and how the stories they told pushed your emotions to a higher level. That higher level of emotions provided you an opportunity to put the lessons learned into action. It’s simple to view leadership in a similar way. Find leaders that make you feel right and who inspire your emotions to a level of taking some form of action to change and improve. Think about what exactly they did to move you to that place of growth and excitement and then model their strategy the next time you’re in a position to lead.
Our community is fortunate to have a Youth Leadership Development Program. I’ve been given the privilege of being on a panel that will share with the participants personal thoughts on leadership. In preparation, I’ve spent a lot of time thinking about what has influenced me along my own leadership journey. Here are a few thoughts I hope to share with the youth:
· The foundation of all positive Leadership can be defined as Helping and Inspiring Others.
· All Leadership begins, and is sustained, with some form of Action.
· Great Leaders exhibit a willingness to accept both Responsibility and Accountability.
· The Best Leaders are the Best Listeners.
· Self-Assured Leaders know when to Lead and when it’s appropriate to follow someone else’s Lead.
· Inspirational Leaders embrace CAN I which stands for Constant And Neverending Improvement.
There are 10 words I’d like to include that in my mind are associated with Great Leadership. They are: Vision, Communication, Integrity, Empathy, Decisiveness, Adaptability, Inspiration, Accountability, Collaboration, and Resilience. While I attempted to weave them all in my bullet point thoughts, it’s my desire that YOU would take time right now to assess how YOU feel about each of the 10 words and the role they currently play in your own life’s journey. Why? Because you matter. Your life matters. What you bring to our society, our culture, and our world matters. Never has there been another human just like you, nor will there ever be one again. You’re on this world for a reason and you have within you the power to change and improve the world through your thoughts, your words, and your actions. Your actions have greater value than any amount of money. Remember, all leadership begins and is sustained with some form of action.
If you’re wondering how to get started on a path to becoming an effective leader, I can help. Write down a list of your personal character traits and then rank them in order of the ones you’re currently best at. Are you kind to others? Do you value organization and processes? Are you a compassionate and caring person? Are you a good listener? After you’ve ranked them, pick your top three and ponder ways you can utilize them in a leadership role. The simplest way to get started is to find a volunteer opportunity that best matches your best character traits. THAT’S where you can hone your leadership skills and observe the leadership style of the others. Take action. Get Involved. Lead. Change the World! Look…I really do believe in you. So, take some form of action TODAY and GiddyUp!