Leaders Are Born...And So Were You

One thing is for sure.  We can take it to the bank.  It's obvious for all to see.  You and I were both born.  As for leaders...now that's a different story.


Who Cares?
The debate that continues today is an attempt, perhaps, to ensure the sale of leadership training materials for those that were not "born leaders."  This way they'll have a chance to acquire those all-important mysterious leadership skills and become effective. Really?  What about those leaders that received some sort of divine intervention and emerged from the womb delegating responsibility from the jump? Hmm...maybe they need support as well?  Does it matter if you were "born the right way or not?"  I don't think so.

What matters is supporting leaders so they can be effective.


We Care
Over the years I've had the opportunity to lead hundreds of hours of leadership training, and although I'm a big believer in learning the material, adding my personal spin and illustrations to the content, and trying to be fairly high energy when I present the truth is I really don't matter all that much.  It's what the people in the room decide to do about that learning experience that matters most.  Great content, insightful stories, and a fired up speaker don't mean a thing if the person sitting in the room returns to their job and immediately returns to their old routine...returns to the way they've always done things...returns to their same old excuses for why they can't be effective.


Don't be that person.


How About 
The next time you have the opportunity to present or attend a leadership session make sure one important action step happens:  force your group to commit to take action when they return to their job, or make that commitment yourself if you're an attendee.  We all have the same status when we're born...real leaders decide to make a difference and don't let lame excuses get in their way.  Don't be lame...and I'll try not to be either.

I'd love to hear from you.


No Excuses.




pics courtesy of culturizeurself and hopelessrecords