Take a moment and ask yourself these two questions:
– How are we encouraging hope in those around us?
– How are we helping to grow the leaders of tomorrow?
I once wrote about the roles of companies needing to team-build differently, and I think some of the ideas mentioned in that post can help.
But they’re not the complete answer – they just look at what companies can do.
We also have to look at what we’re doing every single day, both in our own lives and our professional lives.
Like it or not, we’re all acting in a role of leadership with every action we do.
- Our reactions to situations and people around us shape the mindset of today’s kids, tomorrow’s leaders. We swear; they swear. We smoke; they smoke. We do drugs; they do drugs. If we’re not setting the example, how can we expect our kids to?
- How we work with colleagues dictates how we lead our workforce. Even if we’re not managers, we’re part of a decision-making process that defines that company’s culture and success. Work smart; work intelligently; work respectfully.
- Our voices define our outlook. Disagree with something or someone by all means, but respect their view to differ. Religion; simple points of view; movie tastes, etc – wouldn’t it be boring if we were all the same? Make your point but allow more than yours.
- Speaking for the voiceless when words aren’t enough. Actions speak louder than words – know someone that’s right but afraid to say so? Say it for them – don’t be a passer-by when the slightest encouragement can offer so much hope.
None of us are born leaders – that takes time to cultivate. Even then, leadership is born from respect of our peers, employers, friends and colleagues. People earn leadership – bought leadership is just politics.
Leaders make changes that others wish for but never act on. Imagine if we encouraged everyone around us to be leaders in their own right?