You a leader?

So, you think you’re a leader. Here’s a quick litmus test. Three questions.

Do you model the way? Whatever you want from those following you, are you modeling it consistently? Pass/Fail. No grading on the curve.
Are you showing the way? Are you CCD (clear, concise, and direct) with where we’re going, why it matters, and what is expected from their position? You are in the reminder business. Pass/Fail.
Are you speaking truth (CCD, truth takes few words) to those who have lost their way? Are you correcting them? Coaching them? Are you never coddling them, never compromising standards with them, and always compassionate to those trying to get back on track? Are you showing them the door when they repeatedly disregard the highway? Are you increasingly kind and losing the ability to be nice? Pass/Fail.

Leaders model the way, show the way, and speak truth to those who have lost their way, aren’t meeting standards along the way, or whose attitudes are sucking life out of solid teammates working their way. Simple, not easy. Leaders love the work and the team enough to embody these three and many more. Yes, aspiring leader, there are many more. These are foundational. Are you building a strong foundation for the rest of your leadership? Is your CORE strong enough to care, but not that much? Are you more interested in marrying truth than making friends?

If not, news flash – you aint a leader.

You may possess positional power. You may be a great individual contributor. You may be a nice dude. A leader? Nope.Slow down. Reflect. There are no perfect leaders. We’ve all got work to do to master this most endless of journeys. Look back at your self evaluation of the foundational three. Ask a truth teller to give you some feedback you can use. Identify your integrity gaps (we’ve all got ’em). PA (productively act) to close them. The leaders who get our committed best are continually seeking feedback they can use, not waiting for some bullshit 360 or the universe to get their attention with a 2 X 4 to the head. You a leader? I’m from Missouri. Prove it. Damn.

Live hard. Love ❤️ harder…