I missed posting on Tuesday. On my way to missing another post today, I remembered this one. This was originally posted on Mountain State University LeaderTalk. (I repost here with permission.) I hope you enjoy it.
I don’t know that I am entirely telling the truth in the last section of this post, when I write that I don’t need to be a superhero. Some days, it would be nice to have some extraordinary powers… come to think of it, I would love some today. I am preparing to travel to a conference and I have lots I want to get done. (Who am I kidding? I always have lots I want to get done.)
I would love your thoughts about how the decision to lead has transformed your life.
The decision to lead is a transforming one.
Leaders choose:
- action over inaction
- involvement over detachment
- influence over observation
- passion over passivity
Picture Clark Kent: mousy and meek, slouched and silent, blending into the background. Then, suddenly: bright colors, flashes of light, he disrobes to reveal Superman. Propelled by a need to make wrong things in the world right, he morphs from ordinary to extraordinary in an instant.
Leaders are superheroes without the supernatural powers. Leaders choose to use their strengths and potential for the good of others, every day, wherever they are.
Leaders choose action. Wherever they are, leaders find needs and step forward to get involved and meet them. Instead of watching things happen, they make things happen.
Leaders choose involvement. While some people may prefer to let life happen around them, leaders want to be involved in relationships and activity. Leaders choose to be involved with meaningful work. Leaders choose a mission of involvement with others.
Leaders choose influence. Leaders move past merely observing the world around them to influence others. Leaders may influence others’ thinking first, challenging their assumptions and creating awareness of different realities. Then leaders influence others choices and actions.
Leaders choose passion. The choices of action, involvement, and influence create momentum and emotion. It is impossible to be actively involved in influencing others while remaining impassive. Leaders choose passion instead, pushing past fatigue and apathy to leverage their energy for the good of others.
I don’t need to be a superhero, morphing from Mom to Storm in the confines of my dented silver minivan. But I do want to help transform the world by leading others to lives of action, involvement, influence, and passion.
Will you join me?
I am the founder/CEO of the Weaving Influence team, the author of Reach: Creating the Biggest Possible Audience for Your Message, Book, or Cause, and the host of the Book Marketing Action Podcast. I’m a wife and mom of three kids, and I enjoy running, reading, writing, coffee, and dark chocolate.
Even one of your “recycled” posts is a treasure.
I love the way you cut to the heart of what being a leader is all about, regardless of context, titles, or any of the other things with which we tend to drape our discussions of leadership.
Good work ~ you MUST be a superhero, because you definitely have some extraordinary power:)
John
Hi Becky,
First, you are a super hero already. With your family. With your kids. With the huge impact you have had with so many of us in the Twitter and blogging world.
I love your closing line:
“… lives of action, involvement, influence, and passion.”
The key is that we have choice. We can choose to have this involvement. Our passion influences and motivates others. Which gets us into action. And for some of us, action just happens to be what we naturally “do”. It certainly is for me.
Keep it up.
Cheers,
David
The decision to lead has pushed me past myself–past what I thought was the limit of my abilities. The decision to lead pushed me out of my comfort zone. The decision to lead connected me with other amazing leaders who knew more than I did and were willing to share their expertise–and not make me feel less-than because I didn’t know what they knew. The decision to lead has pushed me to the front of the room–and I’ve discovered I prefer to lead from the back of the room. I like to find someone else who wants a chance to learn to lead–and give it to them.
Sometimes I feel like a superhero.
And sometimes I just feel exhausted.
It’s all part of being a leader.
I do believe that leadership can be supernaturally empowered. This kind of leadership that is permeated in prayer, grounded in Truth and connected to the Vine (John 15)witnesses change and influence that is not humanly possible. It makes you stop and wonder in amazement!
This kind of superhero leader doesn’t have to solve all the world’s problems. She leads through humble surrender, holiness,faith and love.
My own feeble efforts, but God can take the weak and make us strong!
Lisa