Lead, Follow, or Get Out of the Way!

It has been said that some are born to greatness, others have greatness thrust upon them. I think that is true of leadership as well. Some folk you meet seem to have leadership in their genes - whether its organizing a sleepover, president of the youth group, or the natural, unelected 'leader of the pack'. In our ego-centric culture there is a prevailing notion that everyone should strive to be a leader, because, well ... everyone is a leader. It seems this hypothesis comes from an interesting application of logic that says leaders are people who influence others, and since everyone influences someone, then all are leaders. Baloney.

Leadership comes down to a few key issues. Leaders are responsible for vision and culture. They deal with the questions of 'where are we going?', 'what's our purpose?', 'what are our values?', 'how will we behave?' Leaders propose, rather than impose. Leaders give hope no matter how desperate the situation. Leaders understand the Afghan proverb that says, "If you think you're leading and no one is following you, then you're only taking a walk."

Often discussions on leadership get hijacked by those who drag in Hitler or Mussolinini as examples of leaders. These folk aren't leaders, they are maniacal, dictatorial, psychopaths - I'm pretty sure you won't find any of those adjectives in Webster's Dictionary under "Leadership". For those of us engaged in activities that do not include world domination, leadership is a word with positive connotations. Leaders have values, integrity, vision, and honesty. They inspire, are hard working, take risks, take the long view, put their goals ahead of personal needs, are not afraid to go against the status quo, are willing to stand up for what is right regardless of the cost, and are able to balance confidence with humility. It is with this concept of leadership that this blog has been launched, and by which leaders and their leadership will be discussed.

"If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more, and become more, you are a leader."
- John Quincy Adams (6th President of the United States)