252 – Solo Episode: What is Leadership?

What is Leadership?

• The #1 question when it comes to leadership…

• Leadership is NOT:
  • About position or rank
  • About your title
  • About your personal attributes
  • Management

• Favorite Leadership Quotes:
  • “Leadership is the capacity to translate vision into reality.” – Warren Bennis
  • “A leader is a dealer in hope.” – Napoleon Bonaparte
  • “Leadership is lifting a person’s vision to high sights; the raising of a person’s performance a higher standard.  The building of a personality beyond it’s normal limitations.” – Peter Drucker
  • “Leadership is influence; nothing more – nothing less.” – John C. Maxwell

• It encompasses far more than we initially think…
  • Leadership of self
  • Leadership of others
  • Leadership of other leaders
  • Business level leadership
  • Enterprise level leadership
  • City, State, National, Global…

• My “30-Second” definition of leadership…
  • Tapping into unlimited human potential & delivering results.

• Leadership & Talent
  • We’re all blessed with some sort of talent; & we put a huge emphasis on talent…
  • But talent does not equal success!
  • If talent = success, then all successful people would be talented..(not true).
  • If talent = success, then all unsuccessful people would be untalented..(not true either).
  • Talent is a given (you have to be good at something)…but it isn’t enough.

• Talent Is Never Enough
  • 50% of Fortune 500 CEO’s graduated with a C or C- Average.
  • 65% of all US Senators graduated in the bottom half of their class.
  • 75% of all US Presidents graduated in the bottom half of their class.
  • 50% of all millionaire entrepreneurs never finished college.
  • We need to re-examine our beliefs when it comes why people are successful.
  • Talent is a given…you must earn your success

• The TRUTH about leadership & success…
  • How well you lead determines how successful you are

• Leadership Lid Concept
  • The potential of who/what you’re trying to lead will be “capped” by your own leadership ability…
  • Most people don’t get assigned leadership positions based on their leadership ability…
  • Most people are put into leadership roles because of some prior “technical” success in a previous position.
  • The “best” accountant becomes the leader of the accounting team…
  • But the skill set in being the best accountant is completely different than the skill set in being the “leader of all accountants”.
  • A team can be super talented…but their abilities will never rise above the “leadership lid” of the leader.
• Unlimited Potential
  • Two table lamps analogy
  • One produces brighter results because the bulb allows more potential to flow through
  • The same is with your leadership ability…to produce better results you need to allow more of your potential to flow through by raising your leadership lid.

• How do you raise your lid?
  • It starts with “intentionality”.
  • Understand that leadership is teachable.
  • Understand it is a lifelong process.
  • Understand that you’ve got to get into the “growth zone”.
  • The “growth zone” is not in the “comfort zone”.
  • You don’t have to go anywhere or wait for anything to get into the “growth zone”.
  • The perfect curriculum for your growth are the circumstances you find yourself in right now.
  • You just have to opt-in.
  • Every interaction with another human being is an opportunity for leadership & growth.

• Leadership is easy to understand…difficult to implement because of the courage, authenticity, & vulnerability that is required.
  • Stop trying to be something that you’re not.
  • Stop wearing masks
  • Stop focusing on false charisma
  • Stop focusing on position & title
  • Dedicate your life to learning what it takes (in every aspect of your life) to be:
    • Calm
    • Confident
    • Consistent
    • Courageous