Leadership…
We hear this word widely used in so many ways the whole concept of leadership has become vague due to the broad and vast understanding of what leadership really means to people and organizations.
We are given ‘characteristics’ to emulate, we are provided with ‘typing’ for better clarity in personality types, we are shared visions of charismatic leaders, we are told what steps to take to become GREAT and we are told they are defined by character or integrity or another descriptor. While these are all valuable, they don’t encompass what I believe leadership is about.
Are we narrowing the focus too tightly on our own organizations and not insisting on defining leadership in a way that makes a significant difference globally? I fear we might be.
But how do we as individuals fit into the BIG picture of leadership? I have a vision of leadership and it involves much more than a single building, a small group of teams or one or two local CEOs. Leadership to me is a topic that involves global decision making. It requires great collaboration, an educated view of the people, animals, environment affected by each and every decision. Leadership is about recognizing the possibilities, the opportunity and the call to which we have a CHOICE in answering. Leadership is about Building Nations, not just our own, one individual choice at a time.
The ‘call’ is the prospect of becoming a large enough leader to contribute to leading a transformation for humanity and the earth and a small enough leader not to make it about a select few. This call asks that we put aside ‘what we will get’ out of something and to become open and willing to listen (and truly hear) the needs that are everywhere around us. This call asks us to respond to the question ‘what can we give or contribute?’ This call is asking us to learn objective observation, to understand implication and to present strong expectation.
What does this mean? This means humanity in general has the power to lead the presentation of expectation and to clearly state what is and is not acceptable by decision makers. Most every individual in North America is powered with tools and a voice to clearly choose decision-making. We have the power to invest in globally responsible investments, to select responsible consumable goods and services and to vote for those people who will make a positive difference in the world. And the beauty is, we are free to do so.
We can select to shop locally for fresh organic produce, we can support wind power and alternative fuels to petroleum, we can honour our next generation by supporting organizations that keep our children healthy and fed. We can honour dignity by recognizing human rights for every country, not just our own neighbourhoods. We can make sure the people who work for us are supported in earning a living wage and paid fairly for their expertise. We can choose to honour the generation who came before us by learning from their wisdom rather than canning them and putting them on the shelf.
Leadership is not only about the people in our banking industry learning integrity, our politicians making the right choices, or our CEOs giving their employees a sense of value. Leadership is everyone’s job. Leadership is about you and me making the right choices out of a sense of value of the planet, not our own whims. Leadership is yours, you lead with each and every choice you make, every purchase on which you spend your money, on every poor action to which you close your eyes.
Stop WAITING, start seeing and start leading!