Leadership

The theme of my newsletter this month is “leadership”. There are many definitions of this great word that anyone cans Google, etc. But the real meaning of leadership is within us all and I have seen a lot of defining moments of leadership over the years. Now there are lots of examples of poor leadership but I like to reflect on those great moments in time when true leadership shows through.

So who can be a leader? – anyone can and at any age. We have all witnessed very young people from almost infancy to those in the 100+ Club. There are those so young who still can’t speak who have shown us all tremendous leadership by dealing with severe medical challenges. What I often see are smiles and the look of joy despite great challenges. Is that leadership- yes indeed? We can learn that despite our challenges, there are always others who are worse off. And what about those young people who have raised millions of dollars for various causes? Did you know that one of the first groups of people to help during the tsunami in Indonesia were a couple of Boy Scout Troops who immediately went to the aid of a couple of isolated villages?

And then there are those people who by their mere presence in a room exude leadership. I know of a few and often marvel at the impact they have on so many, often without having to stand out in a crowd.

So how can you be a leader? I find that setting a good example everyday really helps. By being a positive role model and of course, by being a great leader. I admire leaders who remember the names of employees or individuals who they may have met once. I like the leader who walks around the office every morning to check up on their employees and fellow workers to learn how they are doing, both at work and at home without prying. There are also those who have a vision and can get a lot of people to carry out their vision without intimidation. And of course there are those who are always willing to step up to the plate when others take one step back.

I was once asked how a person becomes a great leader and gave, what I thought was an inspirational answer- 50 % of it comes naturally and 50% is developed over time. Are you one of those people who have reached that goal? It really is not hard to achieve.

A great short video on leadership is: http://www.ted.com/talks/lang/eng/simon_sinek_how_great_leaders_inspire_… the time to watch it and remember- we are all leaders in our own right.