Leading

Many people think they are leading – few actually are.

Trying to figure out what ‘leadership’ means is a fool’s errand. ‘Leader’ is a title we give people. It does not require any action. However, the verb ‘LEADING’ indicates a clear and specific action and way of being. LEADING is what you do when you 1) set strategic direction, 2) align resources, 3) inspire action, and 4) are accountable for results. Period. LEADING is available to anyone at anytime. Our world is full of books on ‘Leadership’. Our world has enough ‘Leaders’. The problem is that we have too few people LEADING.

IN ACTION

Differentiate LEADING from managing and operating. Most people end up doing the latter two, because they are more certain and less risky. LEADING, however, is addressing the future of your business, which is far more ambiguous and risky.

SO WHAT?

Because the tendency to manage and operate is so prevalent, few people are actually LEADING. Unless the organization you are a part of is perfectly suited for the future, people have to spend time leading.