Are you a leader or simply another positional,powerful poser?

Leaders are believers.  Leaders are connectors too.  Leaders connect us to their belief and give us the gift of their belief in us, oftentimes, before we believe in ourselves. Leaders, real ones, are a rare treat to our world.  

A very, rare treat.

Most CEO’s are NOT leaders.  Most President’s are NOT leaders.  Most of us, truth be told, are NOT leaders either.  It’s just easier to shoot at the ones higher up on the ladder.  Their backsides are simply more exposed to view than are ours.  

Most CEO’s are simply positional.  They have positional power, but they can’t get you and me to go anywhere and through anything for them.  Only real leaders can. Most CEO’s only get transactional followers.  Most CEO’s are posers.  They attract, therefore, followers that are posers too.  Remember, every leader gets exactly the team he or she deserves.

Most CEO’s get followers that simply follow the money trail.  As long as it’s green and getting greener all the time, they carry on down the trail regardless of how miserable the path.  The moment it’s greener somewhere else, these so called “followers” take to their new leader hook, line, and sinker. Oftentimes, they spend their entire career chasing the green from one “job” to another.  Funny how this chase rarely leads to more greenage and almost never leads to more peace.  Hmm…

Why such a shortage of leaders?

Why such an abundance of mediocre teams?

Why so few teams worth remembering?

Why so many simply pursuing power and position?

Here it is.  Do NOT miss this.  Most have.  Most will.  

The reason there are so few real leaders, I believe, is simple to see and really HARD to comprehend.  The reason there are so few real leaders is because there are few humans that:

1. Know what they believe about the big questions in life.

2. Know who they are and who they are becoming.

3. Know where they’re going and why.

4. Know that they are filled with FEAR and that only massive doses of LOVE can “fill” the hole in their soul that this FEAR creates.

5. Know that they are NOT in control.

6. AND, knowing all this and comprehending it fully, live out their vision with purpose and a disciplined process fueled by massive doses of LOVE for their work and for their teams regardless of the power, the prestige, or the size of their following.  

Simple, huh.

Are you a leader or simply another positional, powerful poser?

Here’s how you’ll know.  

Are you focused on how many, how much, and for how much longer?  Leaders answer…NO, I see myself doing what I am doing until I “burn out bright.”  I’m in LOVE with my work and life and can’t imagine NOT.

Are you fixated on your caller, your calling, and your teams?  Leaders answer…YES.  I LOVE them all imperfectly.  

Are you mastering your craft or more driven by position and power?  Leaders answer…of course I am on the road to mastery and focused on my ten thousand hours and beyond.  If position and power follow mastery, so be it.  I view that as a privilege, nothing more.  

Are you building a following that knows you know who you are, who they are, where you’re going and why you are going there, and that you LOVE them and that you LOVE this work?  Leaders answer…I don’t know, but I sure hope so.  That is most certainly my aim, however, I’ve gotten comfortable knowing that I can’t control what others think and do.  

Peace.

Maybe position and maybe power.

Are you a leader?