Do we come hardwired for Leadership or are we crafted into it?

Probably a little of both... what I do know is that Leaders are pursuers: Pursuers of excellence… pursuers of dreams… pursuers of people… pursuers of knowledge, whether born or made.

A leader is always looking for strategic insights that will shorten the learning curves and expedite the outcomes.

Leaders realize very early on that while they possess many competencies, at the end of the day- we are in the People business... and great Leaders become lifelong students of human behavior, communication and motivation. Great Leaders become energizers of people and teams.

Another thing- A leader cannot not lead.

Put a Leader in a group and they don't sit still or lay back for very long... Leaders lead.

There's something in a Leader that wants to make things Better, Faster, Smarter... something that wants to learn more and execute better than the others. It's a drive, almost a compulsion that keeps us going and because of that Leadership is the juice that keeps business and organizations moving forward.

There's a sense of purpose and responsibility. Maybe even a sense of Legacy, knowing that our work as a Leader is to get things done through others and to prepare others to take the reins.

A a Leader, what do yo believe about your role? Take a second and jot down a few things that finish the sentence "A leader believes__________"

Here are just a few things a Leader believes- (We'll look at each one over the next few weeks)

People are inherently good and want to do work that is good (accepting)
In communicating well and often (communicator)
In immersing themselves in lifelong learning (learner)
In doing what they say they will (integrity)
In building relationships, connected to a purpose (strategist)
That people don't care how much you know until they know how much you care (investor)

There are of course, many other things a Leader is- that is the purpose of starting these Everyday Leadership conversations... exploring the strategies and tactics of great leadership.

One thought to leave you with today, from a well known ancient Chinese philosopher:

"When the best leader's work is done the people say, 'We did it ourselves."
-Lao Tzu

What will our people say?

Until next week- Pursue God, Lead Faithfully, Learn Continuously.