You Are A Leader

You are a leader.  Let me say it again, YOU are a leader.

You are a leader by title, default, choice, and frankly, by nature.  It’s simply a matter of your awareness of what dimension of leadership you’re in at the moment.

I recently spent a weekend in the Co-Active Leadership Experience and my perspective of leadership has expanded and I’d like to share and influence how you are stepping into your own leadership.

Their model is simple.  There are 5 leadership dimensions: Within, Behind, Beside, Field, and Front.

The Leader in Front tends to be the default perception of leadership.  The person in the front of the Zoom room for all hands.  The person sending out the notes of encouragement to the organization.  At its core, Leader in Front involves those moments when you’re simultaneously sharing a vision, asking people to come along, and staying connected with those you’re leading.

Have you planned a celebration others have attended?  You are a leader.

Leader Behind gets lots of love from those who love the concept of Servant Leadership.  It’s supporting others, helping with resources, catching people when they fall and helping them push forward.

Have you taught your children how to ride a bike?  You are a leader.

Leader in the Field reads emotions and picks up on energy.

When have you paused a conversation to say, “is everything ok, you all seem a bit quiet?”  You are a leader.

Leader Beside is co-leading and leveraging the synergy and power of two brains being better than one.  You are attached at the hip with both of you having the same vision and each having a hand on one another’s back for support.

What’s the shared vision you and your partner have for your family?  You are a leader.

And now, here is where I want to challenge you.

Leader Within.  It’s you.  It’s the dimension that without it, it’s incredibly challenging to step into the other four dimensions.  

Leader Within is having self-acceptance and self-authority.  It’s the self-trust that enables your trust in others.  “If we are not at home within ourselves, it is difficult to make grounded, conscious choices.”

When have you felt empowered?  

When have you trusted yourself?

When have you made tough decisions and been proud of yourself?

In those moments, you were leading.  You were tapped into your best self.  You were loving and accepting of yourself and owning your outcomes.  That is because you are a leader.

We are all leaders.

We are leaders of our careers, our teams, our families, our children, and of ourselves.

Which of these dimensions could you step into more?

Which of these dimensions feel unfamiliar?  

What would it take to step into your self-acceptance and self-authority?

You are a leader.  Lead accordingly.