I learned young that leaders are aspired to. I saw generals, activists, and revolutionaries on our televisions and now children see them on their phones.
But there’s a big problem here. If you want to play along, take thirty seconds and draw a picture of a leader.
I bet you drew someone with a cape.
None of us know what a leader is. We only have a vague idea of what they can do. Do they lead the way? Lead others? Lead by example?
We forget that if you took other people out of the picture, a leader would still be a leader.
If you run, you’re a runner. If you lift, you’re a lifter. Loving and leading are both verbs. You earn the title by acting it out. If you decide to do either you can (and maybe should) start with yourself.
You are the most important person that you can lead. A great starting point is a topic you’re sore of, and will no longer wait for others to fix. Then, start working on it. Lead yourself through the change.
If your self-leadership inspires, then you become a leader for others who decide to follow. If you bring clarity to confusion, then you lead the way. Maybe for one or a few, which is no small feat.
But anyone can be a leader of one.
