Leadership
“Leadership
is not a popularity contest; it's about leaving your ego at the door.
The name of the game is to lead without a title.”
Robin
Sharma
Leadership is on the
minds of most of the people in the world at present. What kind of
leaders do we want? What are our leaders doing, or not doing? What
are the ethics of our leaders? Do they care about us? And so
forth, and so on. Regardless of where you live on planet Earth,
questions about leadership are front and center. Perhaps we're
looking in all the wrong places for those who would lead us.
Real leaders are people
who simply put their pants on and go to work everyday. They listen
and consider. They roll up their sleeves and get involved. They value
the ideas and experience of others, especially those who are actually
doing the job. Natural born leaders are not focused on their own
aggrandizement, nor their own bottom line. They are there to get the
work done in the most efficient and effective manner possible, while
still treating their co-workers with equanimity and respect. People
will work hard for a leader who recognizes their value and rewards
them for it, even if those rewards are not monetary.
Robin Sharma, Canadian
business leader and writer, says, “The respect you give others is a
dramatic reflection of the respect you give yourself.” Treating
others with sarcasm and condescension are sure signs of a weak and
wounded personality. That person will lead only by coercion and
entitlement. That person is likely to dictate rather than discuss and
negotiate. Determination to have one's own way regardless of the
consequences to others is not a trait of a worthy leader.
Leadership is, or should
be, earned through respect and common sense. The ability to see the
big picture is critical. Knowing what the fall-out from one's actions
will be, and caring about the outcome for others is also crucial. You
can be that kind of leader no matter what you do for a living.
Leadership is not a hierarchical thing, it's a soul thing. Let's look
at those who would lead us from the perspective of what kind of heart
they bring to their work. That's what truly matters.
In the Spirit,
Jane
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