“Leading with the Heart”

Are leaders born or made? This question has been the cause of many debates for many years and there still isn’t one satisfying response. However, I believe that everyone is born with leadership traits, but effective leaders are trained and mentored by other leaders. There have been plenty of studies, books, talks, seminars and more about leadership and how to be one that is effective whether it’s leading a team of two or 2,000 people.?

Furthermore, leadership is also about having foresight and making strategic decisions for the future, but it all starts with the condition of one’s heart. When I mention the heart, I’m not talking about emotions and leading with your feelings. As a leader, you should know “why” you lead. This sounds like having a purpose and a vision right? Yes, it does sound like purpose and vision because leaders have a way they want to see the world in its better and improved state.?

My very first official leadership role made me the youngest leader in my organization at the age of 30 leading people who were 10 to 20 years my senior. I even had someone on my staff who was old enough to be my mother! I was very green with a lot to learn and indeed it was a learning experience. The takeaway from this experience was that I?was not a very good leader and I wanted to be a leader for mostly selfish reasons. My heart wasn’t right and it infiltrated throughout my team making it difficult to achieve our goals. I had to make a change and focus my attention on the team and what they needed to be successful.?As the leader, I had to initiate this because I had to prove that I was more interested in them than myself.?

As I close this first chapter, here are three takeaways that will help you to have the heart of a leader:

1. Know that you are called to lead a people, a process or a project.
2. Your reasoning for leadership shouldn’t be for selfish ambition, but because you have a heart for the people you are called to serve.
3. Check your heart periodically and surround yourself with a body of wise counselors and mentors who’ve established themselves as proven and effective leaders.

Excerpt From

The Heart of a Lion

Kareem Hayes

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