Leadership. I’ve learned so much about this, both from the things I’ve been taught, the things I’ve observed in others, or the things I’ve learned by teaching others.
I taught a lesson to the youth at my church a couple months back where we watched a YouTube video called “The First Follower.” Looking back, that was one of those teaching moments that probably means much more to the teacher than the students.
I have taken leadership roles in the past for a number of reasons, sometimes because no one else will, sometimes because I felt the need to be in charge, and sometimes just because I really wanted to see a mission succeed and saw an opportunity for myself to help achieve it. More often than not, though, my attempts at “leading,” especially when it’s a position when I’m “in charge” have been met with a bit of frustration.
I’m finding more and more that I long to be that “first follower.” I long to not just find something and go achieve it, but to find a cause that not only I, but someone else, wants to achieve, and then to go do it together. Teams. Partnerships. I love that. I love not going alone.
It’s becoming central to a lot of my wants and dreams. One of the ones I remember the most was when I thought up, “to share my story with a room full of people.” That was shortly followed by, “To help someone else share their story with a room full of people.” In reality, the second one excites me more. It’s not that my story doesn’t have value, but if my story can reach a room full of people, what would it be like if my story could affect a few people who then have the courage to share their story with a room full of people… EACH!? That’s what I want. That’s how I want to lead.
In my business, that’s become clear to me as a part of my consulting work is to help companies do what they do best… better. To use technology, and even other areas I have understanding in, or have connections in, to help organizations excel. To see them succeed is to see me succeed.
Is that leadership? I guess so. Developing plans for others, developing goals for others, and listening are on this list of top strengths of mine from a survey I took awhile back. Lots of focus on others, very little on myself. Perhaps that’s why I don’t get that “much” out of what is really true success for myself. I probably should get more. But I have also learned that if I can find what makes me come alive, and go do that, I will be doing what I need to do.
I love to lead others to explore their ability to lead. Whether their “leading” is getting up front and taking a team to the championship, sharing one’s faith, or just being comfortable in one’s skin, that’s what I long to do. It applies to what I do at work, what I do with youth, what I want to do in my family, and where I really want to serve in places all around my life – church, community, school, business… it’s all over the place.
Anyways, that’s where I’m at here. Vague, yet much clearer than before. Even to the point that I’m not far from finding it as part of my purpose. Actually, I know it is. I just don’t have a nice sentance for it yet.