You are a leader––whether you know it or not

The following is a preview excerpt from: "Inspire ? Empower ? Guide –– The Essential Disciplines of Leadership" by Jim Bouchard. "IEG" is scheduled for publication in fall, 2023…

Whether you know it or not. Whether you want to be one or not…

You are a leader.

• You inspire people–whether you know it or not.?
• You empower people, sometimes even if you’re not trying to.
• You guide people–whether you want to or not.?

What is your definition of “leader?” Before we go any further, let’s see if we’re singing in harmony. If not––there’s no point in pursuing this venture any further. Here’s the definition I’ve adopted. Let’s see if we fundamentally agree…

A leader is simply someone with the ability to attract WILLING followers. And again, whether you know it or not or whether you’re willing or not, there are people who follow your lead of their own free will.?

The best leaders are people with the will to serve their followers and give them the tools they need to make their lives better.

The craft of being a leader is “leadership.”

Leadership is sharing. A leader shares. A leader’s style depends largely on what you’re willing to share:?

• Power
• Authority
• Wisdom
• Experience
• Time
• Encouragement
• Compassion
• Respect
• Trust
• Loyalty…

And this is just the shortlist.

Now before we get too lofty here let’s get one thing clear. You can lead people on the right path, or on the path to destruction...

• You could be a creep, an asshole, or even a criminal, and still, there are people who follow you––willingly.
• You do inspire others whether it’s to do the right thing or the wrong thing.
• You can give people the tools to fail as well as the tools to succeed.?
• You can guide people to the darkness just as easily, probably more easily than to the light.?

And–you might also impose your will through fear, force, or coercion. You can still get things done this way, but if so you’re not a leader. You’re a dictator–a tyrant.

Sadly, sometimes tyranny is much more efficient and can be extremely effective. You’ve got to decide how you want to live your life and how you want other people to regard you. Do you want to be respected? Or feared?

Something else we should make clear is that you need no specific number of followers to be a leader. You can lead one or you can lead millions. And you can change the world for the better or cause incredible damage by your influence on just one person.

Leadership is a responsibility. And it’s a responsibility we all share.

What defines us as leaders is whether or not we choose to accept or attempt to shirk our responsibility––and in which direction we decide to lead.?

Let’s dig a little deeper into the fundamentals. You might tell by now I’m kind of obsessed with these. These are the Essential Disciplines of the Leader…

Inspire…

You touch other people’s hearts. Whether you know it or not and whether you want to or not.?

You can inspire love or fear. You can make someone’s heart or break it. If you’ve been on this planet for any significant time, you’ve probably done both.

Empower…

You give people tools. Again, whether you know it or want to, you share many things with people. One of the most important ways to empower others is to encourage them––and you do. The bigger question is what, exactly, are you encouraging others to do?

Guide…

You show the way. Through your words, your actions, and who you choose to take under your wing. I hate to say it again, but it’s a fact. Someone looks to you for guidance––whether you know it or not, whether you choose to or not. Where are you guiding them?

You are a leader. I hope we’ve established that. You might not be the boss.?

That’s the excuse I hear most often by people who still hesitate or even refuse to accept that they are leaders. That excuse supports the toughest argument I still face when I’m trying to change people’s minds about leadership. The plain fact is that some people cling to one or more of the following beliefs:

• Leaders are born––not made.?
• Not everyone is cut out to be a leader.
• Everyone can’t be the leader.?
• There are too many leaders and not enough followers.

First of all, you might not be the boss. You might not have a rank, title or position of authority. Doesn’t matter. Leadership has nothing to do with rank, title or position of authority. It has to do with how you Inspire, Empower and Guide others.?

I often ask the leaders in my workshops if they can identify a strong leader on their front lines–someone who isn’t a manager. Someone who might not have any official title at all. So far, I’ve never found anyone who couldn’t come up with an example.

We all know tremendous leaders who have no title or rank. These people usually have little power or authority in the traditional sense, but they have influence. They inspire, empower and guide people—sometimes even those at the top. If you doubt that, watch “Undercover Boss” sometime.

And of course, we all know people with incredible power and authority who just plain suck as leaders. We all know people who have the rank or the title but little or no respect, trust, or loyalty from the people “below” them.?

Let’s address some of those excuses:

Leaders are born. In fact, we’re all born leaders. Many of the mental health issues we face are due to a significant degree of our real or perceived inability to influence others at any given time. If we don’t make a difference in other people’s lives, we do not feel healthy.

Having said that––while we’re all born into this legacy of leadership, it takes a lot of work to be a good leader. And for the best leaders, this work never ends. The most effective leaders are those who accept that perfection is not a destination, but a never-ending process. The best of the best are obsessed with continual self-improvement as a leader and as a person.

But “everyone can’t be the leader.” This one can get a little complicated.?

At any given time, not everyone can be “in charge.” Even as I write those words I’m challenged by the success of self-directed groups that are now succeeding even in areas where traditional hierarchical structure seemed to be the only way to get things done.?

Still, I get it. There’s an old saying that would now be considered racially insensitive that illustrates how at any given time there needs to be one person in charge, and the rest need to follow––to know their place. That is often the case, but we now understand that the roles of leader and follower are not fixed positions, but rather dynamic roles. In the aforementioned self-directed teams, people flow back and forth in these roles seamlessly depending on the situation and the talents, skills, and experience needed to take charge or manage decisions at any given time.?

On the other hand, pure democracy has never succeeded. Anywhere. Mob rule inevitably creates chaos and “majority rules” without constraint inevitably leads to the destruction of the minority and the individual. This is why some would argue that someone needs to be “in charge.”

For now, let’s leave it at this. At any given time, everyone can’t be “the” leader. But anyone can be “the leader” in the right situation.?

As far as too many leaders––I’ll argue to my dying breath that the problem isn’t that we have too many leaders. We never have enough.?

I admit without shame that my intractable position depends entirely on the idea that we are all leaders and leadership is, for each of us, our personal responsibility.?

That we can argue about. Constructively, I hope.?

It’s not that I’m trying to pick a fight or be provocative (wink, wink), but I know from experience that a robust, respectful debate can lead us to ideas we might not have even imagined if we’re afraid to engage.?

"Inspire ? Empower ? Guide –– The Essential Disciplines of Leadership" is scheduled for release in fall, 2023.

Connect with Jim on LinkedIn to receive updates and pre-publication access. Visit TheSenseiLeader.com for more information!