Do You Have To Be?
I delivered a talk recently on the subject of leadership and personal responsibility to a group of business and Non-Profit industry leaders. During this talk, I commented that “the most important aspect of leadership is something that is unseen.” Many believe that charisma is important…and it can be. Many people believe that having an ability to be genuine and “real” is important and it most certainly is. Others would argue that having a vision that others can get behind is critical to being an effective leader and I would tend to agree. I submit to you that “the most important aspect of leadership is something that is unseen.” The most important aspect of leadership is THINKING.
The conversations that take place in the minds of leaders (and the resolutions of those conversations) absolutely shape reality! All leaders (and those who follow them) rise and fall of the nature and disposition of their thoughts. The filling the void of viable leadership that people can put their weight, talent, hopes and dreams behind is (in my view) the greatest challenge facing us as a community, as a nation and as a world.
Why is this important to you?
You may not see yourself as a leader. You may not see a leader when you look in the mirror. You might be right. You may not be a leader at all. In my experience, the most people do not see themselves as leaders. However, my experience has also shown me that just because you do not see yourself as a leader; it does not mean that no one else sees you as a leader…as their leader!
If you have a job where someone has to report to you, or needs your help in order for them to do their job, you are a leader.
If you are a parent, you are a leader!
If you are an older sibling, you are a leader!
If your friends are always asking your advice, you are a leader!
If you find that people tend to go where you go and do what you do…I have news for you; you are a leader!
Now that we have gotten that out of the way; the question is: “have you decided that you are going to be the kind of supervisor, friend, spouse, co-worker and parent, sibling that people can put their weight, talent, hopes and dreams behind?” What are you thinking… What are your thoughts? Do you want to be that leader that your followers are crying out for? Do you think you can be that leader? Before you answer that, remember the poignant words of Henry Ford, “If you think you can do a thing, or cannot do a thing, in either case you are right.”
You see, thought is the base of all human activity. If you think a thing, you will ultimately become that thing. So, be careful what you think, you just might become it!
Now you might think that I am oversimplifying a very complex thing called life. That is probably true. For the sake of brevity (and boredom) I have not addressed the degree to which circumstance, environment and the like effect, affect and infect human behavior. These outside forces unquestionably have a great amount of influence on how people and situations evolve.
I would like to suggest to you that outside forces can never be as powerful an influence as personal power and results based thinking can be. There are 8 Rungs on what is called the Accountability Ladder that can help you to see “what the score is” and where you can be. Let’s take it from the top rung…Make It Happen!
Make It Happen! - People who operate at this level don’t just talk about results, they get results. Their commitment to results is relentless!
“Don’t just talk about it...Be about it!”
Find a Solution- Solutions are spawned through a commitment to results.
Own It/Take a Position- People operating at this level admit their own role in a problem, then accept ownership of the situation. People who “own” a problem are much more likely to solve it than people who merely acknowledge that it exists.
Acknowledge Reality - These people at least have their heads out of the sand. They see situations for what they are, sort facts from the fiction and accept the certainty that something needs to change.
Wait and Hope- Although waiting and hoping are better than blaming and making excuses; they are still passive in nature. This passive mind set places the obligation for results on someone else rather than on self.
I Can’t”/Excuses- This is sort of an adult version of “the dog ate my homework!” People talk themselves into believing, that they are simply unable to accomplish the task at hand. They genuinely believe they are controlled by circumstances.
Blame Others- Here’s where we see a lot of finger pointing. When something goes wrong, people on this rung are quick to, well… Blame Others! Rather than fixing problems, of they invest time and energy in fixing blame.
Unaware/Denial- At this, the lowest rung on the ladder, people are simply “Unaware” or “Unconscious.” They don’t even know (or deny) there is a situation that needs attention.
If all of this went completely over your head, I’ll sum it all up. The Frank Costello character from the movie, The Departed made a truly profound comment in the opening of the movie.
“I don’t want to be a product of my environment; I want my environment to be a product of me!”
Are You a Product of Your Environment? Do You Have To Be?
The decision is yours! What do you think???
This was 4 The Leader In You!
| 
