Why Leadership Matters
Leadership is a part of our every day lives. There are many theories, different styles and no shortage of challenges that call for leaders to step up and lead. Being a leader takes a certain type of motivation to continually answer that call. Sometimes it can be exhausting, but leaders tend to find the gumption to press on toward the goal.
At the moment, I started to get back into the book Start with Why by Simon Sinek. I started it a while ago, got distracted by sometime else (probably a situation when I needed to step up a lead), then started another book, and now have found it again. This book had me at the premise. Reflecting on why we lead speaks to that motivation to continue to answer the call of leadership. Why we lead my be different for each of us, but we all need to have that intrinsic motivation that compels us to go that extra mile.
If you haven't seen Simon Sinek's TED talk on the subject, check it out here
I have enjoyed reflecting and reconnecting to what motivates me and the compelling why of leadership. I have also enjoyed pondering whether or not the act of leadership has a common purpose that no matter the context can bring us all together as leaders. In other words...what is the common goal of leadership. What is the outcome we are trying to achieve?
My pondering has lead me to this: The overarching outcome of leadership is:
Our world is in need of developing. Identifying opportunities for growth in our world isn't difficult, but rather than focusing on the problems that plague us, leaders look for opportunities to make changes in local communities that have the potential to spread broadly. Our motivation is to take our society to the next place; to leave it stronger and better off than we found it. In order to do this, we also need to work with others and empower people to find the leadership potential within themselves to keep this work going.
How leaders do this is another topic for another time, but if we pay attention, we can see examples of this each and every day. No matter if we are trying to improve a process at work or advocating for social change in our community we are engaging others in a process of implementing something that can make our world a better place.
The Margaret Mead quote may be overused, but it succinctly summarizes the compelling why of leadership and the outcome we are trying to achieve. As leaders, we should try to develop our world by working with others to make it better than it was when we found it.
At the moment, I started to get back into the book Start with Why by Simon Sinek. I started it a while ago, got distracted by sometime else (probably a situation when I needed to step up a lead), then started another book, and now have found it again. This book had me at the premise. Reflecting on why we lead speaks to that motivation to continue to answer the call of leadership. Why we lead my be different for each of us, but we all need to have that intrinsic motivation that compels us to go that extra mile.
If you haven't seen Simon Sinek's TED talk on the subject, check it out here
I have enjoyed reflecting and reconnecting to what motivates me and the compelling why of leadership. I have also enjoyed pondering whether or not the act of leadership has a common purpose that no matter the context can bring us all together as leaders. In other words...what is the common goal of leadership. What is the outcome we are trying to achieve?
My pondering has lead me to this: The overarching outcome of leadership is:
Our world is in need of developing. Identifying opportunities for growth in our world isn't difficult, but rather than focusing on the problems that plague us, leaders look for opportunities to make changes in local communities that have the potential to spread broadly. Our motivation is to take our society to the next place; to leave it stronger and better off than we found it. In order to do this, we also need to work with others and empower people to find the leadership potential within themselves to keep this work going.
How leaders do this is another topic for another time, but if we pay attention, we can see examples of this each and every day. No matter if we are trying to improve a process at work or advocating for social change in our community we are engaging others in a process of implementing something that can make our world a better place.
The Margaret Mead quote may be overused, but it succinctly summarizes the compelling why of leadership and the outcome we are trying to achieve. As leaders, we should try to develop our world by working with others to make it better than it was when we found it.
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