We are passionate about changing the way people think about leadership. We have taught our Charting Bold Creative Leadership training to executives and organizational leaders and we’ve supported them to understand that they will have more power, and their organizations will have more success, if they help individuals at all levels in all roles step into their leadership.
Families, organizations, and communities everywhere need each person to step into their leadership, regardless of their role. Yet, we find over and over again, that people have no real sense of themselves as leaders despite the fact that leadership, in its most basic state, is simply the act of articulating a vision and acting in pursuit of that vision. Leadership is about stepping in and influencing your world, and being influenced by it, as you move forward toward that vision. For over 10 years, we worked with this simple formula to help individuals, regardless of role or title, step into their leadership and it’s been thrilling to see just what can happen in their lives when they do.
Leadership is the pursuit of a vision but unfortunately, most of us have not developed lasting, flexible leadership skills which allow us to stay in pursuit of the vision, even when things get rough. The leader in each of us is defined by our action – day-to-day, moment-to-moment – regardless of role or title.
Think about what you have observed in yourself and in those around you when it comes to pursuing a vision. You may commit to a healthier life, yet abandon it after just weeks, or go on a budget only to blow it when confronted with “a great deal.” It happens in organizations when managers decide to trust their staff to work in new ways, but give up before it has a chance to take root. In each case, leadership is lost when the vision is abandoned.
Your leadership is needed today and every tomorrow. Leadership is what brings great visions to life, day-to-day and moment-to-moment. We know it’s hard to stay focused on your vision when the world is pulling you in a thousand directions. If you need it, you can get support from a mentor, a coach, a group, a class or a wise friend. Come on, the world is waiting for the leader in you to take your rightful place.