Leadership isn’t a reward

I hope you aren’t waiting around for the day when someone with authority finally rewards you with the title of leader.

This is my hope for two reasons:

  1. Leadership isn’t a reward, it’s a massive responsibility.
  2. Leadership has nothing to do with assigned authority.

Waiting to finally be rewarded with a stamp of approval is a great way to miss the opportunity to lead today.

It’s easy to think of leadership as a destination, but leadership is a part of the journey.

When everyone is frustrated and you find a way to diffuse the frustration, that’s leadership.

When no one else in the meeting is willing to say the thing that needs to be said and you do choose to be the one who speaks up, that’s leadership.

When the team is faced with a brand new obstacle for which there is no guidebook and you say, “what if we try…”, that’s leadership.

When you see a better way of doing something (it doesn’t have to be your idea) and you rally people to adopt new behaviors, that’s leadership.

When you notice someone playing small and you challenge them to think bigger, that’s leadership.

The reward of leadership is not a title, notoriety, or a lifetime achievement award. The reward of leadership is the trust from those who choose to follow regardless of your title.OPPORTUNITY FOR ACTION: Identify three ways you can lead in your current role and take action this week. They don’t have to be sexy or grandiose. Most leadership happens quietly, behind the scenes, and without much fanfare.