What is real leadership?

Real leadership isn’t measured by a salary, newspaper article or how many millions of followers ‘you’ have on social media. The real test of leadership is whether you are willing to do the behind the scenes work with no credit regardless of the outcome! I’m so fortunate to be around a group of seniors who continue to ‘blow me away’ by their true servant leadership skills. It’s true that they won’t be known for their covert work behind the scenes except for those they have helped and loved without expecting anything in return.

The real determinate of a person’s character isn’t what they do out in the public but what they do behind closed doors without any photos or desire to get attention. I know that working with kids, teens and young adults that come out of unfortunate situations won’t get national attention. My desire is to fly underneath the radar to be an influencer that helps others see that going the extra mile for someone that is usually forgotten is what life is all about. The challenge is that the culture of today is all about getting attention, credit or a reward and too often about being right.

So, what is real leadership truly about? Is it about being busy, counting the number of appointments you have in a week or just maybe slowing down to invest in a few not many people to see your life and theirs turn around and get better? I have been so fortunate to be around a few who have taught me so much about servant leadership and the reality that few will follow a bossy leader or have their life transformed. (Yes, I confess to being an Apple fan but not someone that raises Jobs to near divine quality in leadership.)

 A servant leader is willing to sacrifice himself in so many ways that the needs of others automatically come to the forefront. This person knows that life change comes through hard work, self-denial and an openness to learn from another. The opportunity is for servant leaders to be humble coaches who are willing to walk alongside of others who are struggling and do it without making them feel inferior. It’s amazing what can happen when you choose to be all about being a helper without getting any recognition. Imagine what life in the business sector would be like if few were into stepping on top of each other to get to the top of the corporate ladder?

I have a close friend who is practicing servant leadership by choosing to train an older teen about his business. I know that ultimately my friend is taking a risk in that this teen wasn’t the fastest learner initially but now is making awesome progress. Too often leadership is totally defined by how many followers you have, yet, in this context the power of helping one is where most life sees change and transformation!

Time to rebrand and redefine leadership that sees the relevance of the individual and not equating numbers of followers with being successful. Think what will happen when a father chooses to be that servant leader to his son or daughter? Imagine the impact in today’s world if our children are valued more than our business or personal choices? Just as the incredible need to be a big brother/sister or mentor to an at risk youth or consider being a foster parent will change the face of our planet!

We Rise By Lifting Others UP!