Leadership comes FROM you. Whether or not you’re a “leader” isn’t something bestowed upon you by someone with authority. It’s bestowed upon you by YOU. It can’t be granted like a degree or a certificate.
Position, title… that can be granted. But can’t we all think of one (or many) people who had the position, the title, the degree, the “authority,” and yet still demonstrated an EPIC failure in what we call leadership?
Right. Similarly, it’s quite possible for those without any title or position to demonstrate legendary examples of profound and meaningful leadership. For some, this may have affected their entire society–even the world–and had ripple effects across the pages of history. For others, it may have only reached the intimate circles of their own life–as far as we know.
What mattered was not their title or position. What mattered was how they led themselves and those around them into authenticity and growth. What mattered was the true leadership that blossomed within them. And in the end, whether that leadership was supported by titles, accolades, awards, or recognition is irrelevant. It’s the behavior of leadership itself that’s the most powerful.
Your leadership is your choice. What do you choose?
Photo credit BK via Flickr adapted from photo by Masa Sakano. Reused here under the Creative Commons License.
