Again one of these mornings.
I opened my mail and Linked In accounts and found numerous articles on ‘how to make it right”. ’10 habits for this’, 8 things to do before that’, ’20 things to do to become whatever’… Really? Every single of these articles is laid out in the very same pattern: If you do this 1,2 and 3- then you become, rich, important – a true successful leader!
So if I understand this right, then there are a wonderful self named Gurus out there that have the recipe to leadership broken down to just a few bullets. Amazing. In fact astonishing. Awesome.
Being a leader versus a follower
Only I wondered if a person actually follows these, does not this person become just that: a follower? Was this not always been just the opposite of a leader? Is it not what a true leader distinguishes, that he or she knows the way – his or her OWN way? Isn’t leadership about going new ways, about following own recipes?
No, I don’t mean all these beautiful bullet lists do not work. Neither do I want to say, that following them did not help the person who created them. But I think it is also clear that everyone needs to wear his or her own shoes. Creating a list about it or not, everyone can do as they please, – but what is on the list must be individually different. It must represent the creator of the list and his or her own needs.
It may work for one person to actually get up early in the morning, run for 5 miles, take a cold shower and have a double espresso before 8am. But for others it doesn’t. Maybe someone else needs to start slowly, with an herbal tea sipping in the front yard, or enjoying a chat with the kids on the commute to school. Why not? Yes, it may not sound as impressive, but if it is this, what builds the strength for the day for this person, so what?
True Leadership
Leadership and this means TRUE leadership starts from within. It must start at the roots of who a person is. Understanding and appreciating oneself is the real starting point of leadership- of SELF leadership. Being self-reflective and conscious on where to source the own energy from and following up on these needs, whatever these may be, makes sure that the effect will be long lasting and satisfying.
The best list does not help if you need to force yourself upon it. If you can’t keep going with it, if after a short while you start cheating on certain items on the list but more over on yourself.
Even in these ‘selfie- times’ when too many prang around with what they all do, it is still the modest leaders, that don’t need to show off with lists, that will actually be remembered. Because they finished the job, while the others were still busy rereading their downloaded lists, they had to FOLLOW!
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