I love this question! “Describe your favorite leader – what made the person a good leader in your eyes?”
It is a simple question. It can also be a profound question. And, the answers, of course, will vary dramatically among respondents, while at the same time, provide you with some enlightening information.
Whenever we ask this question of our participants in our Front Line Leadership classes we hear answers such as:
- “I can trust him/her.”
- “They roll up their sleeves and work side-by-side with the team.”
- “They are willing to take a risk.”
- “I always know what we are doing and why.”
- “They encourage me to try new things.”
- “I feel like they are a mentor for me ”
- “I know that I can’t fail under their guidance. My mistakes are learning opportunities.”
- “They are more of a coach than a manager to me.”
- “I learn from them every day.”
- “They are willing to show their emotions.”
- “They are honest and caring.”
Does your idea of how you would answer this question come close to any of these or does this sound too good to be true? Well, I can say that I have certainly had my share of excellent leaders. Even in the most difficult times, I’ve had leaders that saw the potential in me before I could even see it in myself. That is a true gift.
Now let me go out on a limb and say, and my experience backs me up on this, that many have come to believe that leadership is reserved for the senior most roles in a company or community.
Guess what? Times they are a changing. In Simon Sinek’s recent TED Talk, he shares with us a true model of leadership, one that transpires position authority and highlights that each and every one of us is chartered with the responsibility of leadership.
I invite you to watch Simon’s inspiring talk and learn how you can become the leader you are meant to be! Please add to the discussion by commenting on what you liked most about his view of leadership, how it inspired you or ideas you’d like to add to the discussion as a whole.
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