If you are waiting for the opportunity to become a leader, you don’t have to wait any longer. The truth is that you are once you realize it.
A famous quote from John Quincy Adams has been making its rounds recently, and it goes like this:
“If your actions inspire others to dream more,
learn more, do more, and become more,
you are a leader.”
You are a leader.
As a leader, you have a great deal of responsibility. Your actions are inspiring others to dream more, learn more, do more, and become more.
Have you felt the weight of what has been bestowed upon you?
Take a moment to think about that question and answer it in your head. Even better, go ahead and write it down.
If this is all of a sudden new to you, then ask yourself one more question.
What is leadership?
You sometimes hear it in the context of a group of leaders in charge of an organization. For example, you might hear “…. I will have to run that by leadership”
This would imply that leadership is a noun. Something that physically exists. Something you can see or touch.
This is not the way I want you to view it. I do not want you to get caught with that mindset. Leadership is relational, and it should be taken seriously because livelihoods are at stake. You actions, those actions you take to inspire others, have the ability to make a great impact on those who are following you. Your followers are watching you like a child watches a parent. Because you have inspired, because you have led, your followers look up to you and will mimic the things you do and the things you say.
Leadership is not a noun. It is not a person, a place, or a thing. It is an adjective. It is action and interaction. It is influence and inspiration.
It doesn’t matter what your title is, or if you even have a title at all. The truth is, you are a leader now because you have realized the impact you have. Don’t take this responsibility lightly because you have great potential to affect the lives of those around you and those who are following you.
Leadership is universal. It doesn’t just exist in the workplace. I understand how this can be a common misconception. This is also why you don’t need a title or a position to be a great leader. At its core, leadership is relationships and communication. Those are not titles you can put on someone.
It is also not a looming project deadline or a task list. You see, without relationships, communication, and interaction, you have no leadership. It is the act of interacting with and for the greater good of others. As a leader you have to realize the impact you have on those around you.
Here are three things you must do today to realize your impact as a leader
1. Realize the weight of your responsibility
Until you accept the fact that you are responsible for influencing and inspiring others as a leader, your actions will never be fully realized. Once you are able to see the weight of the responsibility you hold, then you will be able to have a greater impact
2. Pay attention to who is following you
You may not have noticed, but people are following you. Like a child watches a parent, a follower watches a leader. Be aware of those around you who are mimicing your actions, and realize the reach of your influence.
3. Take charge of your actions
It is time to step up. The things you do today and the message you send is affecting someone in some way. You may not know it right away, so let it be a positive experience for you and for them.
Have you realized the impact of your actions and the responsibility you hold as a leader?
I love that quote by John Quincy Adams. Great post, Leo. Thanks for sharing this!
Also, I still haven’t received my hipster card in the mail yet. 😀
Thank you Vince. Your card is on the way. It should arrive shortly after the beanie hats you ordered.
Yep, that quote is a good one. I do realize the impact that it has and that is why we as leaders should put more work into it. It’s not a responsibility to take lightly. Thanks for this great post, Leo.
Thank you Adam. This post inspired by all the dumb, selfish things I see leaders doing every day.
Awesome job with this post Leo! My boss wrote a blog post not long ago on a similar thread to this and the quote from that which has stuck with me is this: “You can never not lead”.
Great job here. Realizing the weight was a big piece for me that just fell into place recently. I lived with a few other guys during my time in college and during a weekend in the mountains together, they took time out of the trip to tell me how much of an influence I’d been in their lives and how thankful they were to have someone like me to look up to. And I honestly had no idea they viewed me that way or were watching my lead. It was humbling and so encouraging, but realizing the weight of that responsibility is not something I took lightly! So thanks for this!
Thanks for sharing that Daniel. And I love that quote “You can never not lead”. It’s true, and you never know who is watching. Like a child watches a parent, so does a follower watch a leader.
Were you empowered to think and grow when your friends said they were influenced by you?
I most assuredly did feel empowered when I finished talking with my friends. It pushed me to want to reach another level!
“You can never not lead” is an awesome quote. And so true. One of the greatest things I was reminded of by my boss recently is that when you lead, your followers want to know who you are following…All great insight.
Love that Adam’s quote! It took me a long time to dethrone the traditional leadership reign and coronate the new leadership model of influence. Passionate post Leo!
Thank you so much Julia.
Did you experience change in your life and in your business when you dethroned the traditional leadership reign in favor of the model of influence?
Adam,
Great post on leadership. I really like the part about accepting responsibility. I try and help my students understand that concept. We are all leading, we just may not be aware of how much our actions influence others.
John Quincey knew this first hand from following his own father. Great quote!
Thanks for sharing!
Karen
Thank you Karen, appreciate your kind words.