The Many Faces of Leadership

What is leadership?

In high school, I was told in order to get into good colleges I would need to have a good GPA and a wide range of extracurricular activities. More importantly, extracurricular activities should be emphasized through holding "leadership roles". These suggestions were often synonymous with being president or vice president of clubs and organizations. This definition continued into college where I was, again, recommended to step into leadership by running for a "leadership position" in clubs and organizations. I did so obediently, never once questioning what it meant to be a "leader".

Is it the title? President of Wisconsin HOSA? Is it the status you have over your peers? "She's the president, she would know the answer to that question." Is it the long list of accreditation following a name? MBA, Ph.D from Harvard, CPA?

It turns out leadership has nothing to do with titles. It is not tangible, not a plague or name plate you can hold in your hand. It is all the little intangibles...and leadership is flexible, adapting to each individual person.

A peer shared with me the best analogy for leadership. Think of a wolf pack. When they travel, the sick and the elderly lead the way, giving pace to the pack. The rest of the pack travel in the middle, while the alpha bring up the rear, providing direction and help when necessary.

Leaders recognize their team's efforts, appreciates their team's hard work, and provide the team with resources they need to succeed. They lead from behind, letting their team shine, and only step to the front when there is danger. A leader never takes credit for the team's work. A leader focuses, first and foremost, on the team, before focusing on the project at hand. A leader recognizes individual differences not as a hindrance but as an advantage and works to unite diverse experiences and knowledge to create innovative ideas. Finally, a leader can be temporary, stepping up when duty calls, and stepping back down when the project is completed.

It is easy to recognize the known leaders: your manager, your vice president, your president. However, take the time to recognize the informal leaders too, whether it be Steve who coordinated team meetings for XYZ project, Jenny who ensured everyone is on the same page by taking minutes and meeting with team members, or even John who made sure everyone was awake by bringing daily morning coffees (because, let's be honest, we all need a little boost now and then).

So, what is leadership? Turns out, leadership is someone who is crazy and sensible enough to tackle the task of connecting a group of people to work towards a common cause. If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more, and become more, you are a leader.