Over the years I’ve suggested over 100 endings to this sentence starter:
“Remember, Leadership is not about a title;
anyone can be a Leader who
_________”
When you are an individual contributor you can add value through a single, focused contribution, repeated daily.
But once you step into a leadership role, it’s no longer about YOU – it’s about them. What does the organization require of
you? What do customers expect?
Most of all, what do the people in your downstream need, want, hope and wish for from you? Sometimes you must be the Smart/Creative One who solves a problem, while other days you must be the facilitator who holds your tongue while fiercely holding space for others’ voices. Sometimes you push, sometimes you pull, and sometimes
you stand on the sidelines and watch others engage.
Many who achieve management titles ultimately fail to achieve Leadership, in great part because they don’t get this fundamental fact: that you must play the role that serves others, not just the roles you like.
Do you know why Meryl Streep is the most nominated actor in Academy history? Because she’s the most versatile; and because she has the capacity to pull up everyone around her to a higher level of performance.
Want to win the Oscar for Leadership? Inhabit the role you’re assigned, and have fun while you’re playing it!
