Be Leading

There is a timeless question that is so commonplace that most people don’t consider its depth. The question is, and I have asked it on numerous occasions sometimes to myself and sometimes to others, “What do you want to be when you grow up?” The usual responses are, “a firefighter, a police officer, the president, an astronaut, a military person, but one little child said to me, “my dad.” I was taken aback with his response, perhaps due to some of my own personal family history, and asked him, “Why do you want to be like your dad?” His answer was quite simple, “My dad is awesome, and I want to be awesome like him.” 

What an answer, I thought. Then I got to wondering, what if the question was, “What do you want to be when you get to the next level of leadership? How many would answer, “Like my boss, he or she is awesome, and I want to be awesome like them.” Like the father’s effect on his son, so it is with authentic leaders and those they are privileged to lead. These genuine leaders lead from the depths of who they are by choice, not by chance.

Unlike some in leadership positions choosing to wear an imposter leader costume like they are attending a Halloween party, these leaders choose to challenge anything, internally or externally, that may hinder their genuineness. In other words, they are real from the inside out. They don’t act like leaders; they are leaders, and they lead with purpose. They purpose to…

…be professional, not pitiful.

…be responsible, not irresponsible.

…be open, not obscure.

…be fair, not unfair.

…be endearing, not excruciating.

…be secure, not insecure.

…be smart, not stupid.

…be inspiring, not inciting.

…be organized, not disorganized.

…be noble, not ignoble.

…be attentive, not inattentive.

…be leading, not led.

By the way, have you found your purpose as a leader?