I have always considered every person to be a leader. Not in the sense of a senior leader of a company, with direct reports and senior leadership responsibility, but in the sense of influencing others.
For me, leadership is all about influence. We all influence others at home, in our family, in our community, in our church or place of worship, in community civic groups, and in multiple other areas of our lives. Our values and our actions influence others.
In my presentations around America, I try to emphasize that we are all leaders. Some leaders have greater influence in a company or organization. Some have a bigger title with more responsibility and authority. Some leaders are paid significantly more than others. But, from my perspective, we are all leaders in multiple areas of our lives, and if we accept that we are leaders, we can then set out to be even more effective leaders in various areas of our lives.
This concept of leadership, at least for me, builds people up, engages, inspires, and empowers them to recognize and accept the great value and influence they have in all kinds of different, and very important areas of life. In other words:
You are a leader. You have no choice—you are a leader. Therefore, be the very best and most effective leader you can be, in every area of your life. Influence others for the benefit of all.
For me, leadership at home, within our family, within our community, with friends and colleagues, can be just as important, and in many cases more important (depending on a person’s values), than our leadership in an organization where we “work.” From this perspective, I certainly feel everyone is a leader.
As you can tell, I am very passionate about this perspective of leadership! However, I value and respect other viewpoints. If you have a different perspective, I would love to hear your thoughts. Please leave a comment below!
