Each one of us is a leader. For some of us, our leadership is formal and acknowledged by the world around us; we are team leaders or managers or CEOs at our place of employment. Yet all of us, simply by being a member of the human race, by being part of a family or group of friends, are leaders. Someone, somewhere, is watching and learning from us whether we know it or not.
Think about that. Your actions, your words, the very energy you bring to each interaction – YOU are being watched and emulated.
How do you show up as a leader?
Are you willing to find out …
… and take responsibility for your impact?
We’ve all heard those famous words, “Be the change.” But do you know that being the change we want to see in this world begins at home, in you and in me? Being the change requires that we see ourselves as leaders who care enough to learn what our impact is and take responsibility for its ripple effect.
Today, I am challenging you to look deeply at one area in your life where you impact others. Then, learn about your impact by getting courageous and asking those who feel your leadership impact to help you be a better leader. For those who are willing to be honest with you, ask these powerful questions:
How do I show up as a leader (or partner, friend, parent)?
Where do I fail as a leader?
What is my unintended impact?
Our actions always have unintended impact. Growing up, my desire to do well in school, to perform well on stage, to be “good”, had the unintended impact of me being thought of as a snob! I didn’t know that until years later when someone got honest with me. When my leadership colleagues reflected on my playing small and scared as a leader, I heard, “Your unintended impact is …”:
You create disconnection.
Smallness enters the space.
Your magnificent voice is not heard.
That’s pretty powerful impact of the kind I didn’t mean to bring with my leadership!
What is the unintended impact YOU create?
