Have you ever considered the question, what makes a leader a leader? By definition, a leader is “a person who leads a group.” So that would say that when you have a group of people reporting to you, then you are a leader in the most formal sense of the word. How would you describe yourself? Are you a leader?
I worked in an organization that felt a bit differently than that regarding the term leader. Everyone was considered a leader in my previous organization. That meant if you were an individual contributor, you had the opportunity to lead yourself, projects, task forces and volunteer activities. Leaders of teams also had those same responsibilities in addition to leading teams or organizations of people.
So what was the reason behind saying that everyone was a leader? The main reason was that when you tell someone they are a leader, they behave differently. They are inspired by the title of a leader and they carry themselves differently. They see that they have just as much of a responsibility for the successful outcome of the business results as the people at the higher levels of the organization. They “act like owners” and help to drive the “right” decisions for the business. They are also viewed differently by their management. They are seen as people who have potential and who take initiative. They are looked upon as the potential bench of people that would be the next leaders in the organization.
Now you have the opportunity to decide who you want to be. Do you want to be thought of as a leader even if your title doesn’t reflect it? The change starts with you and how you think about yourself. How you think about yourself will change your actions. When these things change, then everyone around you will start to see you differently. If you are ready to take the next step and be seen as a leader, but not sure where to start, then set up time with me for a complimentary session. Here is the link: Schedule an appointment