No matter how old you are, at one point we were all kids. When I was young, many years ago, all the neighborhood kids would gather to play baseball, kickball, or basketball during the day and capture the flag or kick the can at night. Amongst the kids there was always the leader. Someone would suggest we play this or that, and the rest would agree and fall in line. When it came to picking sides, the two top leaders would then select who would be on their team and you felt a sense of pride when you were chosen.
Yes, I do realize there are a zillions books, videos, and training programs on how to become an effective leader. I also agree that a portion of being an effective leader can be learned. With that said, I also believe that the vast majority of leaders are born, not trained.
It really doesn’t matter how leaders become gifted with their abilities, they are there and most people recognize a leader when they see one. Every business needs a leader! Someone has to set the pace. Someone has to have the vision and someone has to move forward with the team following.
One of the great qualities of leadership is trust. Those surrounding the leader tend to trust them, even if they don’t always agree with their decisions. Why? Because they know the leader will take ownership of the decisions he or she makes. If things don’t work out as planned, they don’t scan the horizon looking for someone or something to blame.
I listened to an amazing presentation awhile back. It was entitled You Don’t Have to Have a Title to Be a Leader. The business owner might be the overall leader, but leaders are needed at every level. The company may have a service manager, but leaders are needed even among the tech team. Do others look up to you? Do they look to you when a decision needs to be made? If that is the case, you are a leader, like it or not. By the way, if you are a leader then act like a leader … because others are watching you.
