This post was selected as the Best of Lead With Giants July 2013 on LeadWithGiants.com
We are proud of the ways our leadership drains us.
We have such important responsibilities, we are the indispensable piece that holds everything together, without us everything would fall apart. If we were to take a vacation, or even a break, they might never recover.
Yet, the leaders who inspire me are refreshing.
It is not only their bubbly, sparkling personalities.
Their leadership refreshes themselves.
The leaders who inspire me do not lead because someone else has told them they are leaders, or given them a leadership title. They lead by listening, reflecting, and translating their core values and vision into meaningful, measurable action. Their goals are not imposed on them, but describe how they practice being their deepest selves.
The leaders who inspire me craft ways each day to become the leaders they have the potential to be.
Their leadership refreshes the people around them.
As the leaders who inspire me share their truest selves with the people around them, they bring out the best in other people. They recognize how they share core values with other people, and appreciate how that sharing makes the work they do together more powerful.
They know themselves well enough to see that each person makes a unique contribution to a group effort, and to help each person do their best work.
Their leadership refreshes the organizations in which they lead.
The leaders who inspire me demonstrate that we learn from each other. They lead in ways that create opportunities to gain and grow, and provide examples for the organizations in which they lead.
They appreciate how essential it is that our own values connect with the values of the organizations in which we lead. They understand, clarify, and share those values, helping people work together to put them into practice.
How refreshing is your leadership?
What will you do to refresh yourself today?
[Image by Nina Matthews]
Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In