3 Steps Toward Leadership With a Bad Attitude

There are times when we just do not feel like being leaders.

We do not want the responsibility. We are too tired or overstressed, discouraged or frustrated. We are not all that interested in bringing out the best in other people. Being a leader is too much work, too much bother. We want to stick out our tongues at the world and say forget all this leadership nonsense.

We just want someone to tell us what to do, and go do it ourselves.

How can we lead well when we do not feel like it?

The first step toward leading well reluctantly is remembering who we are. The strength of our leadership grows from our true selves and our core values. We may need to take some time to remember why we lead.

We may need to get away for a while, or to take a few deep breaths. It may help us remember if we take some time to rest or reflect, or sit still for a minute or two. We need to regain our perspective to lead well.

The second step is recognizing the people and experiences which inspire us. There are leaders with whom we have worked, adventures we have had, which keep us going. We want to work with someone like that again, we want to feel like that again.

The third step is taking action. We find a specific way to put our true selves and our core values into practice. We begin exploring to find our next leadership adventure.

When we are reluctant, when we may have bad attitudes, our leadership reflects the deeper truth of who we are.

How do you continue to lead when you have a bad attitude?

Who inspires you to take your next leadership step?

[Image by danifeb]