Leadership for Everyone
Leadership is a phenomenon that exists in nature, among humans and other species that inhabit our planet. In many cases we expect to lead, or to take center stage at some point in life, but for some reason we fall short. Why are we so afraid of leadership, and can anyone become a leader?
Since I was a child, I saw heroic protagonists in cartoons and movies, leading their friends to the ends of the earth to save the world. Over many years, this created in me a belief that leadership and being the protagonist were only for a few: the chosen ones, the messiahs.
I saw my own perception reflected in this Harvard Business Review article, titled "Most People Don't Want to Be Managers," published by Nicole Torres in 2014. It shows, through a CareerBuilder survey, that 34% of 3,625 full-time workers in government or the private sector in the United States said they did not want leadership positions. The reasons given in the survey were many, since people could choose more than one answer:
These data may indicate that a large part of people feel some insecurity about leadership, a sense of inability or fear. That is why I think it is urgent to demystify leadership, and to do that I will bring a few concepts:
Meaning of leadership (Oxford dictionary):
Noun
1. the position, role, or quality of a leader.
2. the spirit of command; authority, ascendancy.
3. BY METONYMY: a person or group of people who have this spirit and exercise this command.
Meaning of leader (Oxford dictionary):
Noun
1. a person who has the authority to command or coordinate others.
2. a person whose actions and words have influence over the thinking and behavior of others.
According to the book The Servant by James C. Hunter, leadership is the ability to influence people to work enthusiastically toward goals identified as serving the common good.
So, having understood what leadership is, I want to ask you a question to reflect on:
At some point in your life, have you influenced people to do something enthusiastically in order to reach a goal?
Think about the simplest things in life, like convincing your friends to go to a party, your parents to go for a walk, or your classmates to study for a test or plan a birthday party.
If you ever did that, congratulations, you have already led. And if you do not remember a moment like that, do not worry. Leadership is a skill that can be studied, trained, and learned, like walking, speaking, or anything else you have learned, however hard it was for you at first.
The question that remains is: why should you lead?
Notice that leading is not a job title. It is a posture as a human being, about pursuing better results for the group in a proactive way and positively transforming the environment around you. That is why I believe we should all study and learn a bit more about leadership, so we can be better students, colleagues, children, parents, and professionals.
Of course, like any new or underdeveloped skill, the learning journey involves discomfort, and that is part of it. If you are afraid of leadership, let go of that fear. Lead in order to become a better person, not necessarily to reach a position or a status, because that is not the point.
Learn to lead in your personal life, without pretension, and before you know it, you will be leading teams and increasing your impact on the world.
Book recommendations on leadership:
Free courses:
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