Ode to Leaders
I’ll just say it right out – I LOVE leaders. I am a big fan. I am not necessarily talking about job titles and corner offices when I say that. I love leadership wherever I find it. I have a deep and abiding admiration for the many men and women in this world who, out of vision, passion, and care, choose to rise above the daily grind of life and offer their gifts and energy to make this world a better place in some way. Leaders of teams, companies, families, nonprofits, those providing employment for others, those educating us, protecting us, representing us, serving our communities, and doing so much more than I could possibly list, our leaders are guiding our society into the future.
Like you, I have witnessed terrible, selfish, unethical, and destructive leaders, who constantly tear down the very thing they claim to be building. I see how poor leadership darkens the prospects for humanity. And I know that even at our very best as people, we fall short; we miss the mark and let each other down.
But I have tremendous compassion for leaders. From childhood on, I was aware of the “extra effort” that they invest into people and the time and energy they pour into the needs of the world. I have watched them take responsibility and step into the frightening voids that other people flee from. I have seen what they are willing to sacrifice, I have witnessed the skill and the care with which they deal with people and seemingly insurmountable problems.
In the older, pyramid-shaped leadership style, leaders were very alone. I remember an old joke that said, “It’s lonely at the top, but you eat better.” In many countries around the world, leadership styles have changed over the past decades as our beliefs and cultures have shifted. Now leaders share responsibility and authority with their executive teams, and team leaders work to empower their direct reports.
In the end, whoever and whatever you lead, an organization or a team or a family, there is still a place where it all comes down to you - and only you. And those in your circle of influence (which is much larger than you may realize), will succeed or fail based on what you believe, what you communicate, and what you do.
My heart cries out that YOU SHOULD NOT BE ALONE!
That is why I took up the mantle of coaching. I am highly motivated to provide an environment for leaders to think, to practice, to grow and develop. I believe that you as a leader, deserve a nonjudgmental, confidential place to be honest, to lay out your hopes and fears, your problems and successes, your goals, and motivations. You are giving out all the time. You deserve a place and a time that is yours and only yours. Coaching will make you a better leader. And if you are a leader, I’ll bet you want to be a better one.
