Why would anyone want to be a leader?

I meet with leaders nearly every day. As a result, I hear the good, the bad, and the ugly parts of leading organizations. Which leaves me wondering, why would anyone want to be a leader?

Don’t get me wrong, I know leadership can be very rewarding – personally, professionally, financially – but, the day-to-day stresses and pressures of leadership come on strong and powerfully, and often times, seem to wash over you like an unexpected ocean wave.

One business owner I spoke to recently summed it up something like this, “If you want to take on responsibilities for which you get little credit, all the blame, and constantly feel inadequate, then leadership is for you.” Now, I’m not sure he really felt that way, but those were the words he used, and a very wise man once said, “…the things that come out of the mouth come from the heart…”

Motives for Leadership

In his book, “The Motive,” Patrick Lencioni says there are really only two motives that drive people to become a leader.

The all-too-common reason is they want to be rewarded. He says, “They see leadership as the prize for years of hard work and are drawn by its trappings: attention, status, power, money.” This type of leader believes their role should be “convenient and enjoyable.” And when it’s not, they delegate, abdicate, or ignore situations that leave a “painful and destructive vacuum.” (If that stepped on your toes, say “OUCH!”)

Lencioni says, the other reason people step into leadership is to serve. Believe it or not, “some people have the desire to do whatever is necessary to bring about something good for the people they lead. They understand sacrifice and suffering are inevitable in this pursuit, but they also understand that serving others is the only valid motivation that sustains a leader through the certain ups and downs.”

Your Next Step

As leaders, none of us are purely reward-centered or responsibility-centered. Everyone struggles at times, and everyone steps up and does the right things at times. But one of these two motives will likely drive your desire to become a leader, and that particular motive will have an incredible impact on your level of success and the success of the organization you lead.

How will you discover the real motive behind your leadership?

Who do you trust to answer your questions? And more importantly, who do you allow to question your answers?

Where will you go to be supported, encouraged, and challenged as you transform into a responsibility-centered leader?