Leadership is based on service – not ego or power
In these unprecedented times we need true leadership from our owners, executive and middle managers, project managers and technical leads (whether they be technicians, engineers, programmers, or service/support).
This list may seem long – but leadership is not based on a position or title – it belongs to anyone who has the willingness, fortitude, and courage to grasp and hold it.
The challenge is that too few people these days make that choice – or confuse it with management – which is positional and brings with it authority, responsibility, and accountability. (In my opinion there are also too few managers committed to or trained for their position – but that is another article).
So, if Leadership takes courage, what does courage look like / sound like / feel like?
- Courage to create and communicate one’s own mission, values, and ethics
- Courage to consistently live and act by those values and ethics (integrity)
- Courage to take responsibility for information-based decisions
- Courage to admit and forgive mistakes (of oneself and others)
- Courage to be responsible for one’s own and other’s livelihood
- Courage to own one’s own vulnerabilities and insecurities
- Courage to build, and if one must destroy – then to build better
Think about that list – I’m sure there’s more to put on it. How many of these leadership traits do you identify with, or strive for?
The alternative to leadership is passivity, victimhood, martyrdom, irresponsibility and blaming others
This is a wasting disease which sucks our souls, the souls of our companies, our industry, and one could say our nation. This mentality leads to:
- Devaluing our values, ethics, self esteem
- Devaluing our respect for ourselves and our respect for others
- Giving us the excuse to blame others for our situation
True leadership demands the willingness to sacrifice our ego in the service of others – especially in times of crises like these.
That’s why there are so few leaders left – and why we need more like you…
