Finding your place in the world as a leader

Leadership development is not easy. You don't become a better, bolder leader following a three-step process, sometimes not even after doing months of workshops and programmes. Becoming a better leader is about becoming a better human. It takes an ongoing learning process and a lot of daring to bring that knowledge into action.

I believe it comes down to building our capacity to do four essential things: learn, trust, care and risk. And that often refers to the risk of being someone we've never been before. Even once we've let go of who we used to be and grown to be the bold leaders we always wanted to become, we can still feel lost. What now? How do I contribute to this world, what kind of legacy am I to leave behind?

As our world grows more and more complex, we can easily feel paralyzed. We want our actions to make a difference, but how can they when there is so much work to do? It can feel like trying to remove all the plastic from the ocean one bucket of water at a time. What if it is never better, what if our actions don't actually solve the problems we are collectively facing?

To start building our leadership legacy, we must get away from either / or ways of thinking. It's really not about carrying the whole world on our shoulders, or nothing. Our role as a leader is not to be the one who will solve it all, but to live in integrity with ourselves and the world around us. It's about having the courage to stand up for what is right, it's about matching our words with bold actions and understanding the delicate connection of everything.

Eventually, it's never about what we achieve and what we solve, and it's always about who we are and the impact we have on others and our world. Therefore, every conversation, every smile, every thoughtful act is a part of your legacy, and you are building it, as we speak, with every breath you take.

by Zana Goic Petricevic