Leadership is a way of being available in all life. It is the spirit to live out something that’s within and bring out the same in others.
Leadership is not power, authority or control. It has nothing to do with those
Leadership is service. If you are not serving, you are not leading. Serving others is the sole credential for true leadership.
Leadership is not a privilege
Leadership is a demand life places on all who live
Leadership is not delegating tasks or responsibilities to others
Leadership is ensuring the growth of those entrusted to you to handle the demands life places on them proactively by self-initiating
Leadership is not nobility, aristocracy, or something you achieve by attaining an achievement
Leadership is a birthright. You were born to be a leader; to lead in an area of gifting and endowment. You must discover and develop your capacity to lead.
Leadership is not arriving somewhere last and leaving first. In fact, this needs to end.
Leadership is being with the people you lead. Knowing what they value, care about, aspire to. It is doing life with them, being led by them.
Leadership is not giving speeches, standing on stages, being in the spotlight
Leadership is doing the right thing that needs to be done even when it is hard. Sometimes that is not standing on the stage but being in the trenches.
Leadership is not people following you or listening when you speak
Leadership is following an ideal that the people you lead aspire to and upholding that ideal above self-interest, comfort, convenience.
Leadership is not success
Leadership is the pursuit of the highest standard, a great vision, excellence
Leadership is not separation from and isolation from the lives of those you lead
Leadership is immersion into the lives of those being led. It is being in touch with the realities on the ground. Reaching out to understand.
Leadership is not acting in a certain way.
Leadership is being true to yourself, living out your highest values without supervision. Authenticity is the highest form of self-respect everyone must give themselves and it is mark of leadership.
After I had finished my reflection and writing on this topic, I thought, “let me see how Chatgpt would define the leadership” and so I asked it to provide its answer in a table similar to what I’d done. Here is Chatgpt’s version
What Leadership Is Not
What Leadership Is
A position or title
A responsibility and act of influence
Controlling others
Empowering others
Having all the answers
Asking the right questions and listening well
Demanding loyalty
Earning trust through service and integrity
Being the loudest voice
Creating space for others to speak and shine
Commanding from the top
Leading by example
Acting out of ego or pride
Acting with humility and purpose
Seeking personal gain
Pursuing the greater good
Avoiding tough decisions
Making courageous and ethical choices
Leading only in good times
Staying steady through crises and change
Neat, isn’t it? It almost looks like a summary of my thoughts. But the two writers didn’t share notes at all. I would admit it captured some of the thoughts I have in most of my writings but that escaped my mind while I was writing this. So, consider the two tables as explaining and complementing each other.
The reason I reflect a lot on “What is leadership” is because at Leader Upp, we have a mission, a mandate, to awaken the dormant leaders within each and every one of us. Our mission is the transform those who only follow to also lead and to awaken, elevate and democratizeleadership consciousness, mindsets, and convictions; and help individuals and organizationsbuild authentic, transformational leadership competencies.
To do this there’s a lot of myths and misconceptions we must debunk and tear down. There is a lot of things that happen around people in authority (generally presumed to be leaders) that warp and distort the essence of leadership. We are committed to returning to the basis and first principles of leadership and with God’s help we will do that. “What really is leadership?” will remain a question we will not stop exploring. Afterall, we believe asking questions is more important than having answers. How do you define leadership?
