Simple Leadership

“I am not much of a leader.”

Actually you are, however, if it makes you feel any better I hear that all the time.

What is it about the concept of leadership that repels people? The words above are repeated from different sources a lot. I believe that we have taken this straightforward idea of leadership and created a monster.

In times past, we just led. Everyone was actively involved and life meant showing up and leading. We either literally helped lead, or we led by enthusiastic participation in the project.

Today leadership takes on other meanings. Those meanings range from, titles, paychecks, and wage status. This is the reason people recoil in fear of leadership.

A revolution is needed. Let’s stop looking at leadership as a pristine – pompous – podium – position and accept that God created us to lead. Simplifying leadership can be done by executing the three essentials to simple leadership.

Care, the first qualification of leadership should be a caring capacity. If we care what we are doing, we can then apply the necessary energy to help propel our labor forward. The problem with most efforts is a lack of passion.

My advice to the passionless is not to wait around to be inspired, rather, practice finding inspiration in whatever you are doing.

Bare, leaders must allow themselves to bare emotions at work. It is OK to be vulnerable. Leaders need to have the freedom to be emotionally engaged in the tasks at hand. This allows us to put all of our strength into the project. We should treat every day like it matters.

Chances are if a leader learns to treat their days as if they matter. Their days will matter!

Share, Leadership is about doing a job well and then helping others to do the same. This does not require enormous presentations or scheduled mentorship time. Sharing occurs every day in little coaching moments that are enthusiastically seized.

Enthusiastically seizing moments to make a difference is one of the most powerful actions a leader takes.

While, the idea of leadership may be intimidating it is easy. Everyone in any organization can lead well by understating the need to keep it uncluttered.