So You Want To Be A Leader?

Hello, Doctor E. Coming to you from my vehicle. I am in transport on this, another balmy day in the tundra, and I wanted to talk to you today about leadership. So you think you're a leader. How do you think about leadership? How do you think about that? One of the things that I want to encourage you, and I want to start off by saying, don't think of leadership or becoming a leader as a process. Think about it as a practice. And I can already see the bubbles in your head saying, well, Doctor E, what's the difference?

If you think about leadership as a process, the tendency is to wait until you are in a certain position or you hold a title or you have a particular credential in order to become or to be a leader. But if you think about leadership as a practice, you can be a leader in any position, in any role, in any way, shape or form, because you are practicing leadership. You are practicing leadership skills. You are practicing all of the tangibles and intangibles that make you a leader, regardless of your role, regardless of your position, regardless of your status, regardless of your credentials.

So even if you're a child, you can practice leadership in your home. Even if you are a staff member, you can practice leadership on your job. Even if you are an assistant manager, you can practice leadership in your role, because leadership is exactly that, a practice, not a process. Now, I wouldn't be doctor E if I didn't give you a couple of takeaways. So here's the first takeaway. When you're thinking about leadership as a practice. The first one is take initiative. Don't sit back. Step into opportunities.

Step into and embrace engagement. Step into and embrace all of the other roles that come along with practicing leadership. So one, take initiative. Two, very important serve a purpose. And what do I mean by that? Fill in gaps. Step into spaces and places where you are purposeful and that you're adding something to whatever the opportunity or the engagement is. And the third one, which is huge, is ask yourself this question, am I useful? Am I being useful? And if the answer to that is no, well, then rethink what you're doing.

Rethink your approach. Rethink how you're being equipped, but more importantly, rethink you. And what does that mean in terms of how you are preparing and how you are stepping into that practice of leadership. So again, approach leadership as a practice, not a process. Take initiative, serve a purpose, and ask your question, am I being useful? Do you remember those things? And I think you are well on your way to becoming a transformative and a useful and productive leader. Until next time. Hopefully not from my vehicle.

I'll see you soon.