Where Have All The Leaders Gone?

Leadership is big business. We hold our leaders up as celebrities. When they are doing well we portray them as super heroes. When they fail, we knock them down as the devil’s spawn. So many of us are looking for great leadership. We desire to follow leaders because we want to, not because we have to.

Many people find themselves in leadership roles by accident. They were given the title, the office and the letterhead without any training or development. Some people are leaders without the fancy titles or degrees. People listen to them because they inspire and connect in a way that resonates.

Where can you find great leaders? Where can you find your own leadership that is inside you?

Leadership is always found in the mess.

Budget disasters.

Missed deadlines.

Botched proposals.

Divorce.

Miscarriage.

Diagnosis.

Kids throwing tantrums.

Leadership always emerges in the mess. Think about a messy time in your life. Who did you become? How did you behave? Who came to you? Who avoided you? The mess of life is there for a reason. It shows you the type of leader you really are. Not groomed, choreographed leadership. I’m talking authentic, courageous leadership that is rare.

In order to find great leadership in others and in yourself, you must first look for the mess.