Leadership is displayed through behavior. This is true whether you’re in a titled position of leadership or not. People who display these behaviors are often tagged as “high potentials” or something similar. Well, at least they should be. We collectively seem to recognize when someone acts like a leader.
This conversation isn’t new.
There are literally thousands of books written about leadership behavior. I’m not trying to reinvent that wheel here. I’m more interested in how those behaviors come to be. In order to act like a leader, you have to think like one.
When you feel self-doubt, how does it impact your leadership?
When your self-confidence falters, how does it impact your leadership?
When you’re convinced that the only way is *your* way, how does it impact your leadership?
What happens when it goes wrong?
Everyone has a bad day. Some of us have bad months. During the pandemic, I’ve heard people talk about having so many bad days, they feel permanently off track.
We’re human. We get shit wrong. Everyone makes mistakes. What’s important is how you fix it. When leaders are the ones making the mistakes, there’s a hidden opportunity. Because you’re a leader, more people are watching. Or at least hearing about your mistake through the grapevine. The opportunity lies in how you fix it. Part of leadership is modeling for others the expectation of how we respond in all situations.
Bottom line?
What happens to your opinion of a leader when they don’t act like a leader?
What would you want to have happen if you weren’t acting like a leader?
There can’t be cut and dry simple answers which apply to every scenario. Leadership is far more complex and nuanced than that. You know that already.
What will you choose to model?
