What Does It Mean to Be a “Leader”?

Seeing yourself as a leader is an important part of becoming one. But many times, we let the labels or expectations of what we think being a leader means keep us from stepping into the role — and from making things better.

Leadership can be overwhelming when we're worried about others seeing us as "domineering," "different," or "unqualified."

This is why I firmly believe we need to recalibrate our vision of what great leadership actually looks like.

At FranklinCovey, our definition of leadership is uniquely broad. This is on purpose. We believe that everyone has the potential to lead and is, in fact, a leader. When we look at leadership through this lens, it’s no longer something we think of as a job title. It's a choice of behaviors. If we don’t hold a formal leadership position, we lead every day when we offer support, welcome a new team member, or decide to understand another person’s point of view.

 Of course, being a good leader is a skill that takes practice. The trial and error of it is how we learn, and especially how we develop a style that is authentic to us and beneficial to the people around us. It's a mistake to assume we must be perfect at the skills of leadership in order to be a good leader. I fact, the authenticity that powers good leaders comes from the vulnerability of learning as you go.

And if authenticity is a key to leadership, then humility and self-awareness are too. I was struck by the fact that many of the survey respondents in this recent Harvard Business Review article voiced concerns about others seeing themselves as inadequate. Choosing to assume a leadership role with a good sense of humility and self-awareness is a fantastic foundation upon which to build. These characteristics take time to develop, so if you've already got them, you're well on your way to being a leader others would choose to follow.

#Leadership #Authenticity