Leadership is a funny thing. We all “know” what it is… but have a hard time explaining it. We expect it from our boss… but it’s probably not in their job description and almost certainly not in their job title. So what IS leadership, who shows us how to do it, and why is it such a hard concept to wrap our heads around?

I suppose the precepts of leadership were first impressed upon me during my stint in the army, and as any good veteran can tell you, the first place to look is to the regulation…

The Army defines leadership as influencing people by providing purpose, direction, and motivation, while operating to accomplish the mission and improve the organization.

Army Regulation 600-100

For the non-military types out there, lets look at the complete compendum of human knowledge for a definition…

the “process of social influence in which one person can enlist the aid and support of others in the accomplishment of a common task”

Wikipedia.org

Do you see the common element? That’s right, its influence. But its more than that, it is influence toward accomplishing a task.

Ok, great. Now we have a book knowledge of what leadership is… now for the hard part. How do we apply that knowledge to our vocation, advocation or the task at hand?

But I’m Not In Charge

Funny, I don’t remember seeing that as a requirement in any of the definitions. It didn’t say, “influence of the person in charge to accomplish a task,” did it? Too often we limit ourselves by believing that leadership is reserved for those with some sort of “leadership” position. We assume our managers, directors, or VPs will be the leaders and that we are just here to follow their instructions.

The reality is many managers simply don’t understand leadership and the ones that do can’t do it by themselves. They depend on members of the rank-and-file to “step-up” and “get the job done,” euphemisms for leadership. Think about it for a second. Think about work and who has the greatest influence over the members of your team. Truth be told, its probably not the first line supervisor. If you can’t figure out who it is, ask some of your co-workers… the answer may surprise you!

Ok, But Why Me?

So if that previous exercise pointed a finger back at you, guess what… you’re a leader. (I’ll pause here so you can complain about “not asking to be a leader” and how its “unfair”…). You are a leader if you make things happen. If people come to you for your opinion, you’re a leader. No, you never ran for the position of leader… it wasn’t pinned on you like a name tag… but everyone knows it, even you.

I think its one of the great ironies of life that most leaders don’t (or didn’t) want to be leaders. On my Kindle right now I’m reading the Personal Memoirs of Ulysses S Grant. Wow, talk about a reluctant leader. And yet, when it comes to influencing others in the accomplishment of a task, you’d be hard pressed to find an example of someone who was a greater leader than Grant. (In the interest of equal time… I’m reading Robert E. Lee next…)

You may not have asked for the role, but you have it. You have it because people respect your opinion, value your input, and most importantly, because you will make a decision. See, the vast majority of people out there are followers. They’ll be more than happy to fall in line behind anyone who is willing to lead the line. Its safer that way. You, on the other hand, are frustrated following the lead of others, feel stifled by indecisiveness or a lack of direction. You’d rather make a wrong decision than no decision at all. One of the great philosophers of all time once said

Even if you’re on the right track, you’ll get run over if you just sit there.”

Roy Rogers

Embracing The Leader Within

So before you run off to change the world, excited that you’re a leader, I have one more thing for you to think about. If people value your input, respect your opinion and follow your lead, where does that leave you on the responsibility scale? Yes Spiderman, its true… with great power comes great responsibility! You’ve been a leader for some time now, you don’t have to change a thing. Accept your role, be confident, and lead.

HaHa, You’re Wrong

Ok, maybe I was. Maybe those fingers didn’t point back at you as a leader. Why not? So what if you weren’t put in charge, we already established that being in charge doesn’t matter. (BTW, you don’t have to have a single person who “works for you” to be a leader either… nice try). Who cares if you’re not the boss’ favorite, you will be if you start getting thing done! Oh, you must be afraid that your co-workers will make fun of you for being a “company man.” Remember the part about wanting to feel safe by following someone else?

The bottom line is you owe it to yourself, not your employer, to do the best you can at your job. Would you be proud to reply to your kids, nieces or nephews, or the kid next door when they ask you what you do, and you have to answer, “I do a half-hearted job at filing widgets for the Acme company… you know, the bare minimum.”? I hope not.

Step up your game. Whether you’ve accepted the role of leader or you’re putting on the mantle now, be the best you can be at what you do, encourage others to do the same, and get things done! It will put you in front of the pack, and quite possibly make you your boss’ new best friend!!

Your Turn

What do you think a leader is? Why do some people emerge from the crowd while others remain safely in it’s midst? What obstacles do you see holding you back from being a leader? Let me know what you think in the comments below.

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