These questions appear so many times in articles, posts, marketing, etc. They are a bit cliche at this point but nonetheless remain a powerful questioning tool.
WHO
Everyone has the capacity to tap into their personal leadership qualities in service to any enterprise we truly care about. Developing them, therefore, is for anyone who’s decided to focus less on individual contributions & more on others development. It can be an uneasy feeling to work yourself out of a job. This is the prime spot to live in to support others’ personal & professional growth. Giving up control can be hard but ultimately it’s necessary. Paying knowledge forward gives credit to not only you but those who’ve mentored, supported & guided you along your path.
WHAT
Leadership is about influence. Author & optimist Simon Sinek says leadership is a choice, not a rank or position. Your positive influence can make a huge difference. We will all work with people who choose to focus on other aspects of life & career but recognizing who has chosen to take care of those around them should be supported. Respect their decision to lead as a natural part of their growth. If they act with integrity & not to win power & authority over others they should be encouraged.
WHEN
Business thought leader Gary Hamel outlines in his book “What Matter’s Now” that there is no time like the present to transform our workplaces through courage, a contrarian mindset & compassion. Courage of character with tactful questioning & compassion for others thoughts/opinions will make you a great asset for the long haul in our working lives.
WHERE
Discovering the right environment where you can thrive in your chosen profession is vitally important. What is your preferred way of interacting in the world; listening, reading, hands-on? Humans have a great capacity for adaptability but knowing where your foothold lives is a great place to start because you can’t fight your DNA. Where we work & how we interact there will set you up for less activity & more achievement!
WHY
Because it’s a lonely feeling to look back on a long career to find that you had a chance to make a difference in others lives but didn’t take the opportunity to give back. If you are feeling guilty about this then maybe you took too much along the way. Giving back as you go provides a sense of accomplishment as we continue to balance taking care of our people & the tasks at hand. Ricardo Semler has great thoughts on this in his TedTalk from a few years ago, it’s full of awesome nuggets.
HOW
The biggest challenge of leading is taking care of the needs of those we work with & the stuff that’s just gotta get done. Striving for balance of these isn’t easy but it’s worth it because you’ll approach the people you lead with empathy while getting the right things done for the enterprise. Peter Drucker has some great additional thoughts on this in his book “The Effective Executive”.
Always remember, those who follow after us are vitally important & their development can’t be underestimated. Engage, encourage & inspire!
All the best,
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