We think of leadership as happening dramatically. We face a crisis, and a leader steps forward to guide us to success. Our myths and our movies show the least expected candidate emerging to save the day and become the leader we need.
At a critical moment, the leader realizes they can become the leader they have the potential to be.
While that may be an engaging story that stirs our hearts, true leadership is shaped over time.
Leaders take time and effort to develop. People appreciate their own leadership because they are given opportunities to practice it.
Some leaders develop against a backdrop of expectations. They may inherit those expectations; they may be comfortable or very uncomfortable with them. Other people see them as leaders before they see it for themselves.
Some leaders develop surrounded by conflict. They may need to practice and demonstrate their leadership again and again before others can appreciate it. They may lead in ways that are unconventional, creative, or challenging. They may need to wait patiently for people to see them as leaders.
No matter what our background happens to be, we become the leaders we practice being. We put our core values into practice, and those values shape the way we lead. We will not become overnight leaders, exploding into action without any previous experience.
We will grow into the leaders we have the potential to become as we take steps that reflect our values. We will gain perspective from our own actions, and learn important lessons by trying new things.
Over time, with experience, we will wear away what we think we know to reveal the leaders we can become.
We will become leaders shaped over time.
Which values are you practicing?
How are you shaping your leadership today?
[Image by Alison Christine]
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