That is a great question, right? I have thought about this many times as I was preparing presentations or working on curriculum for development. Sometimes it is easier to think about what leadership isn’t. It is not a title, a hierarchy or a structure. It is not autocratic or self-serving. In my mind leadership is synonymous with helping, shepherding, serving and rewarding.
You can be a leader in anything you do – volunteering, working in your job, playing a sport or helping at a child’s event. I have witnessed amazing leadership by people with no title and some without a job. A leader is someone who is willing to raise their hand and say, I will take responsibility. To do it well you need a humble heart for what you are doing and the ability to share it with others in a manner that they want to follow you and continue to follow you. Sounds easy?
Turtle Patrol
I included the attached picture as a wonderful example. Turtle Patrol on Hammock Beach Florida. On an early morning walk, I spotted the tracks of a mama turtle. Within about 10 minutes, here comes Turtle Patrol. They looked at the nest to insure it held eggs, marked it off to protect it and logged it. Volunteers showing leadership for our environment and our precious sea turtles.
There is a lot to unpack in this line, “a humble heart for what you are doing AND the ability to share it with others in a manner they WANT to follow you and continue to follow you.” I am going to break it down into steps. You can use this whether you are new to leadership or have been leading a team for many years.
Steps for Leaning into Leadership
- Humble Heart – Enter the leadership space without ego. It is not about you. A good leader is about their team, be relatable and human. Pass on the accolades and accept the blame. If you find yourself thinking…because I said so, then you are not truly leading.
- Mission Focused- Love what you do and share your passion for the organization’s mission. It is easy to follow someone when they connect the work to mission, vision and values.
- Communicate –
- Bring clarity to the work that needs accomplished. Share the objective with your team so that they are clear on expectations and connect it back to the why. When goals, objectives and directions are clear, they are easier to follow and when your team understands the why behind what they are doing, they will better support it.
- Listen more than you talk. Hear what your team is saying and continually ask for feedback, ask until it is uncomfortable. Be grateful not defensive.
- Celebrate the Successes – Reward and recognize your team for a job well done, make sure it is individualized, public and sincere.