Always Leading

Being a leader is an important responsibility. Everything you do and everything you say has an impact on someone.

Let that really sink in - your actions and words always have a direct impact on another human being. ALWAYS. Huge responsibility right?

And it gets bigger, because EVERYTHING you do influences and impacts people. I imagine most people are reading this thinking it's obvious that of course leading people is impactful. Of course as a leader you email people, hold meetings, publish articles, and they all play a part in your role at work.

But that's the easy part. When you carefully choose your words, hold well crafted meetings and plan your interactions you are actively choosing the type of leader you want to be and to some degree you are in control of the impact (or at least the desired impact) upon the people you are communicating with.

However, being a leader is more than words and actions at work. True leaders build credibility through integrity as human beings. We follow and trust leaders because we believe in them as people. We respect their path and we have a shared values and purpose. Respecting and trusting someone as a human being is essential to want to follow them, and thus making leaders out of those we follow.

Be yourself - but better

You can't fake it, acting with integrity very much means as a leader you have to understand who you are and be your 'real self' at all times. The person you are in the office has to be the same person that goes home, goes out on Friday night, and the same person we spot walking around the supermarket with your family.

When leading you will naturally step it up in the work environment (albeit virtually sometimes) to be there for people, so your professional self at work HAS to be the best leader version of your true self. But... this does not mean being someone different or pretending to be someone you are not. If you are not acting with integrity people will see through it quicker than you know you're doing it. So it's simply a matter of dialling up or dialling down the aspects of who you are - your personality. This is easier to achieve by having a strong understanding of who you are, what you believe in, your values and aspirations for life. Consider your social, environmental, religious and political beliefs as a good place to start.

Always Leading means Always Leading

But do you really think you are only a leader when you step into the office? WRONG. Always leading means Always leading. How you chose to travel to work today had an influence on people. Your choice of lunch. Your weekend hobby that people spotted on social media. That day you went down the park with your son to kick a ball about. The time you held a door open to let a family through ahead of you. The time you helped a lady with her luggage on the bus.

All these macro and micro actions paint the picture of who you are as a human being. True leaders build credibility and trust through their integrity as a human being.

Everyone is a Leader

The thing that strikes me most about leadership is that it isn't solely for Leaders. Every person reading this has impact and influence over other people every day. People interact with people all the time, whether meaningfully and consciously or without awareness. The art of leadership and understanding leadership shouldn't be confined to the select few who consider themselves leaders (often by their job title). If anything it's de-constructive to split people into a category of 'leader', and leave others out.

Think of people you have met, both in and out of work, that have influenced you or had an impact on your life (positive or negative). I would put money on it that they were not all categorised as leaders, they definitely weren't your leader.

I believe we are ALL Always Leading. Every single person has the responsibility and power to impact and change peoples lives. And for a large part we won't even know we are doing it!

The point I want to make is...

Be the Leader

It's not a job title. Be the leader you want to be, always. Or better... be the leader you wish you had!