Post Election, and on Veterans Day, I am finding solace thinking about leadership. I taught leadership development for 7 years. Here is some
truth about leadership:
Leadership begins when you are asked to take responsibility
for what you say and what you do. This process begins when you are a child.
Many of you will have memories of those lessons.
Leadership is how you treat other people, not because someone is
watching or a TV crew is following you.
It is how you behave
because you have become an adult who thinks deeply about your actions, your
purpose, and your impact on other people.
Leadership is something you do every single day.
Not only on days when you are given a prize, or elected, or
promoted.
You can’t be given the status.
Leadership is not
something you just “start” doing.
.
It is a part of your soul that you have grown, nurtured,
developed.
Leadership is made of
your values and purpose you have held onto when faced with tough choices and
difficulties.
Leadership is a
process of becoming.
Leaders will fail, we may not achieve what we set out to do,
but we tried our damn hardest.
We make mistakes and we apologize when we do.
We do things that humble and embarrass us in front of other
people because we are human.
It is not the achievements or failures that count.
All leaders have a purpose.
That purpose is etched in your soul.
You earn and work and strive towards that purpose over your
lifetime.
It is your purpose that counts.
Are you a leader?
What is your purpose?