WHAT IS A LEADER?
If you’re here reading along today, then I’m gonna make a few assumptions about who you are and what you value. Your presence here leads me to believe that you are a high achiever - or at least that you want to be - in some important area of life and performance. I’m confident that you see yourself as a work in progress, and that you’re willing to do whatever you can, including taking advantage of a resource like this one, in order to keep getting better.
If those things are true, then I’d say it’s also safe to assume that you are the kind of person who sees yourself as a leader, who others have given that title to, or both. People like you often willingly step into that role - despite the challenges that come with it - mainly because they really want to win, and because they recognize that their influence plays an important role in the success they say they're after.
Despite that willingness, though, it can be hard sometimes to define what exactly a leader is and what exactly a leader does. There are a million different definitions out there, which probably highlights the complicated nature of the work that accompanies that title. I like a lot of those definitions, but my favorite one comes from the author and researcher Brené Brown. She defines a leader as “anyone who takes responsibility for finding the potential in people and processes, and has the courage to develop that potential.” It's a great definition because it highlights what I believe are three non-negotiables for anyone who wants to be a leader, including you and I here today…
1. Responsibility. Brené Brown's definition starts with accepting responsibility. A leader is anyone who takes ownership of the part they play in helping someone or something get better. Being a leader is not a distinction based on your age, your title, or your position of authority. It's a responsibility you accept because you recognize that if you really want to win, then using your influence to its maximum capability is more than something you can do. It's something you can't not do! Great leaders readily recognize and willingly accept their part in that process.
2. Potential. Leaders have developed the ability to balance the sometimes harsh reality of what currently is with the exciting possibility of what could be. Finding and fulfilling the potential in people and processes requires two critical leadership components - vision and belief. A clear vision allows you to see what this thing you’re building is capable of becoming, and a strong belief fortifies the conviction that with a lot of hard work, you can in fact turn that vision into reality. What you’re after doesn’t exist yet. That’s why it’s called potential. Vision and belief are critical components for turning what could be into what actually is.
3. Courage. Brené Brown’s definition of leadership is one of the only ones I’ve seen that contains what I believe is the most essential leadership ingredient: courage. The truth is, choosing to lead is scary. It requires you to do things differently, to stand out from the crowd, and to expose yourself in a way that brings with it a substantial amount of risk. It's clearly not for everyone, and in that way, leading actually looks a lot like winning. Without some serious courage, it's really hard to do either.
Accept the responsibility. See the potential. Cultivate the courage. That’s a great formula for winning leadership in any important area of life, and that’s why I love Brené Brown’s definition of the word. If you're someone who sees themselves as a leader, then today’s a great day to evaluate for yourself how effectively you take responsibility for finding the potential in people and processes, and whether you’ve built the courage it takes to develop that potential. That’s not easy, but it's what leadership is all about, and it's what winning in this important area of life and performance requires you to do.
