Please don't call yourself a Leader!

Embarrassingly I think I once called myself a coach. Thankfully however I have never stooped so low as to call myself a Leader!

So, what’s the problem?

Increasingly I have noticed the use of people calling themselves “Leaders” or “coach”. If you are a professional coach – perfect. If not, at best, this is wrong at its worst arrogant.

• Others may choose to call you a Leader based on what you do and how you behave.
• And, unless you are a professional coach. Coaching is something you do (or could be doing) as part of your role. Coaching is changing behaviour, changing how your teams do things, making this change sustainable, impacting positively what we do. For us coaching is not theory.

So,

Churchill never called himself a great Leader. Many have bestowed that title on him. Others have a view that he was not so great a Leader. For this article, these views are immaterial the fact is it was not his view – he simply got on with doing what he believed was the right thing to do.

Leadership is not about a title or a designation. It's about impact, influence and inspiration (Source; Robin S. Sharma)

You should not call yourself a leader. Equally any title (Manager, Director, VP, COO, CEO etc) certainly does not make you a leader – often quite the opposite is true. What you do and how you go about it means others may define you as such. In other words’ “I think she is a great leader” or "I believe he leads his team very well". By the way anyone in your business could be perceived by others to be a leader – regardless of role, age, length of service etc.

Likewise, whilst you may be a great coach (others of course will decide) you should not, unless you are a professional coach, call yourself “a coach”. Coaching skills are part of your toolkit. It is a skill you learn over time through experience, practice and making mistakes. You certainly do not go on a course, read a book and then become a coach (“You Can't Teach a Kid to Ride a Bike at a Seminar” by David H Sandler is a good read when it comes to how you learn).

If others chose to say I have led them well or, believe I am a great coach then that is great, thank you. It is not for me to define myself as such.

Leadership is practiced not so much in words as in attitude and in actions (Source; Harold S. Geneen)

Happily following others, being authentic, showing humility, encouraging and nurturing others, helping others see their own potential, not feeling the need to know everything, approaching problems from an adult perspective, wanting to understand the why, keeping perspective, being pragmatic, being bold and decisive, showing you care, looking for the great, agreeing the best way forward, actively seeking feedback, making mistakes, learning every day. These are just a few things I believe are leadership qualities and therefore what I do.

A close friend and old colleague of mine said recently that my view comes with experience – of course it does. It is far easier to have this clarity and view now. I have been at it for 30 years and maybe, just maybe I have started to make sense of it.

So, what do I do?

Well, my name is Philip. I am a father, husband and I run The Grand Hotel & Spa in York.

Let me know your thoughts. If you agree, disagree, want to meet and chat it over. You know where I can be found and a great cup of coffee is always on offer!