Guess what’s the latest trend on LinkedIn? People left and right casually tossing around the term “leader”. The chances of stumbling upon the term “leader” showcased with pride are as high as one in every five profiles. It’s like a leadership epidemic out there!
No offense to anyone but true leadership is more than a trendy catchphrase and certainly more than a title that someone can declare.
I used to believe that by becoming a manager or reaching a certain position in organizational hierarchy automatically make you a leader. I mean, why not? It’s an expectation, yes! However, your position ≠ you are a leader.
That’s a myth!
Leadership is about the actions you take not the position you hold (Reference Book: Leadership lessons) Though things like being a people manager or reaching a certain level give us a certain advantage, it doesn’t automatically position us as someone others look up to for inspiration and motivation. Achieving that status requires genuine effort. What I’ve observed, and what many people managers often fall into, is the trap of assuming they are ‘leading’ the team when they are literally ‘managing’ certain aspects of how a team function and process. Practicing true leadership involve genuine intention and empathy
What changes I am making as a part of this realization?
Now that I’ve figured things out, what am I doing differently? Well, I’ve understood that I need to adjust how I manage people and base it more on the core principles of leadership.
Right now, I’m honing on three key things that have started to emerge as my leadership philosophy:
Building trust: I’ll be honest, this is a tough one. Especially in the professional world, you often only see the surface of a person – like the tip of an iceberg. To truly understand who they are, you need to dive into conversations that might not be easy for everyone. I prefer to take this process nice and slow. It may take time, but eventually, we’ll reach a point where one-on-one conversations become a safe space.
Being vulnerable: If you don’t let people see that you’re human, just like them, with your own set of mistakes, balancing personal and work life, and having emotions just like everyone else, it’s really hard to build a real connection. Being open about your vulnerabilities helps others see you as a person they can relate to.
Accepting failure: Leadership is not about avoiding failures but acknowledging them, learning from them, and using those experiences to grow and lead effectively. In the leadership journey, setbacks are a powerful catalyst for personal and collective success. It allows you to inspire others with resilience and a genuine commitment. All you need is to start seeing failures as opportunities to lead with fresh outlook.
Amidst the title race for ‘leader’, let’s not forget that being a leader isn’t just about adding it to profile or resume. It’s about stepping up and embodying the qualities that define true leadership
Embrace the journey not the title as that’s where a true leader shine 🙂✨ I am ready to replace the word ‘leader’ with ‘practicing leadership’. May be that’s the first step to curb this pandemic.