To Be A Leader

To lead involves the application of one’s abilities. To be a leader involves the expression of one’s identity.

Being a leader emerges from having a clear mission, vision, and values. A leader has a purpose, a reason for being. The leader knows why s/he gets up in the morning. The leader has envisioned the purpose fulfilled. There is clarity about the principles that direct the leader’s decisions and actions. The leader’s actions are an expression of personal identity. Through meaningful action the leader achieves outward success.

Too often would-be leaders initially focus on what they want to get. They then decide what needs to be done to attain their goals. What they do not consider is who they are. Their grasping for achievement rests on a hollow core. Their self-serving striving eventually collapses.

The courage, persistence, and passion needed for long-term achievement are fed by a clear understanding of who one is. This clarity provides strength of action. At the same time, the leader cannot be obsessively attached to a static identity. The leader must be open to personal growth. To be a leader involves an ever evolving process. While genuine action emerges from a sense of personal identity, the leader at the same time must question the source of that identity. This is the tension between being and becoming. Living within this tension is required of those who would be a leader.