Am I a leader?

1/24/2020

Stop asking dumb questions and start doing leadership things.

Have you ever asked yourself, “Am I a leader”? If you have, or if you are contemplating this now, stop. It’s the wrong question. First, leadership is not something ethereal, mystical, supernatural or metaphysical. Second, this is a useless question as it creates no value even if it were answered. Leadership is not a position.

Ethereal - leadership is not delicate. You won’t break it if you at first suck at it, nor will you ruin all future chances if you fail.
Mystical - you should not treat leadership with awe, mystery or fascination other than to note the positive effects of good leadership and harness those tangibles in your own life.

Supernatural - no spider bites or glowing rocks required. While some people seem to have more of “it” than others, the principles of good leadership can be understood, practiced and developed by anyone.
Metaphysical - leadership does not transcend physical matter or the laws of nature, rather it requires physical presence to encourage purposeful outcomes.

Step one to being a better leader.

While there are those in history that transcend the moments of their time and thereby stand out in our distinctions of strong leadership. Leadership is a daily practice. There are no leaders, only people in a position of leadership. No leader arrives without their own journey of trial, failure and growth. You are a leader, you must be intentional to develop your leadership. Leadership is often placed on a standard that is only approachable by those worthy to wield its magical powers. This is not true.

Leadership is leading.
Leaders are those who lead.
Everyone is a leader.
Recognize that you are a person in a position of leadership.

Two questions to elevate your leadership skills.

The question is not, “Am I a leader?” If it wasn’t clear before, the answer is, “Yes, you are a leader.” The question is not even whether you are a good leader. Good leadership is a subjective measure related to abilities, intention and outcomes. Good leaders had their bad moments and bad leaders have their positive qualities. Yet, this is true of any person in a position of leadership at any level. Leadership categories that impact your everyday life include your-self, your roles, your responsibilities and your example to others. You are a leader in each of these key areas and you must be intentional to develop your abilities.

Everyday leadership categories of significant consequence include:

Your - self
Your - roles
Your - responsibilities
Your - example

Making a difference as a leader.

As a leader, if you want to ask an effective question, ask yourself, “Am I on course or off track?” This is important because, in order to answer this basic question, you have to establish some clarity as to what your goals are. If you are clear on your goals, you can develop actions steps and track whether you are consistently moving towards or away from your goal. Questions of substance will require you to look in the mirror and assess measurable results.

Am I a leader? Yes.
Am I on or off course?

The importance of being intentional as a leader.

If you are brave enough to ask yourself whether you are on or off course, you are on your way towards progress in the process. There is one more tough question a person in a position of leadership must ask, especially if your roles and responsibilities have you overseeing a team of people. “Am I on track due to intention or coincidence?” The prototypical leader enjoys receiving praise for success and shirks responsibility for failures. Whether things are going well or they are a dumpster fire, the person in a position of leadership must ask if their outcomes have been the result of being intentional or merely coincidental.

Is the team winning because you have been intentional in helping them prepare for and achieve success?
Or, are things going well in spite of your efforts (or lack thereof) as a person in a position of leadership?

Leadership is a daily process.

You are a leader. You have a responsibility to lead yourself, master your roles, execute your responsibilities and set a positive example for others. If you want to grow as a person and be effective in your leadership, ask yourself whether you are on course or off course. If you are on track to reach your objectives, have you done everything in your power to be intentional with your efforts and empowering those around you to succeed? If you are off track, move towards being intentional by facing the music and set an example of climbing out of your mess. It’s never too late to take a step in the right direction.

Stop asking dumb questions and start doing intentional things. As the process evolves, you will have to adapt, so the development of your leadership skills is never over. If you work through the process of taking ownership of your role as a leader, getting yourself and your team on course and being intentional, it’s not as though the game is over. Repeat daily.