Recently I had the privilege to attend the Chick-fil-A Leadercast, hosted and sponsored by many amazing companies, including our very own – SVI. The event brought together thousands of leaders from around the world to hear from some of the most respected and influential speakers in the business world. And there I was – my first time at an event like this, furiously scribbling notes and trying to soak in the wisdom of people like Seth Godin, Dave Ramsey and John Maxwell.
It was wonderful – but it also was overwhelming. I am relatively new to the corporate world and definitely not in a leadership position, I thought as the event came to a close. How can I apply what I heard when I don’t hold a position of “power”? It was then, in my slow, steady mental walk toward self-pity, that I thought Hey! I don’t have to be a leader in a formal sense to be a leader! I can be a “despite-my-position leader.” Someone my peers look to for answers and guidance. Someone they admire, compliment and commend. Someone they trust. Someone they seek out informally for their own growth. I can do all of these things without positional power.
So I set my sights on growing my leadership abilities NOW – not later when I get a formal chance, but in the present – to prepare myself for my future hopes and goals. In reading through those dozens of notes, three themes struck a chord for me most. I categorized them into three actionable “live-by’s” I intend to incorporate in my professional and personal arenas: Lead by Being Intentional, Lead by Being Passionate and Lead by Being Moral.
Great – I have some “live-by’s”… now what?
Lead by Being Intentional: Intention has a lot to do with motives, desired outcomes and purpose. To lead with intention, I have to start with ensuring my motives behind every action, every decision, every move are filled with integrity and align with my authentic self. I should not, and cannot make choices that negatively impact my team, nor my company. I intend to take the advice of Suze Welch in making decisions and try to be more thoughtful and considerate of the decisions I make. I will consider (albeit swiftly – we do live in a fast-paced world after all) the pros and cons of things before jumping to a decision. This lessens potential negative consequences, while giving me a better opportunity to make, well, better decisions. When I align my intentions with integrity, I have a greater ability to pursue the higher purposes behind them. My intentions become concrete snapshots of my values and purpose lived out. The more I align work with my values, the more authentic I become. As this increases, the visibility of my authentic self to those around also increases. This allows for deeper connections with my peers and increased collaboration on projects. And hopefully, showing my authentic self will encourage others to show their authentic selves and become leaders of intention.
Lead by Being Passionate: I’m in the business of developing extraordinary people and irresistible companies – so I better have some passion! I can’t honestly say I help anyone else grow, develop or become enriched if I don’t have a passion for helping others, helping communities, and helping the world. If I’m going to lead with passion, I’ve got to show it. I write for a living, I write to relax and release, I paint art for fun, and I revel in music to feed my soul. My passion lies in the creative elements! But how can I lead others by leading with passion through creativity? What if they don’t have similar creative outlets? What if they don’t have anything they’re particularly passionate about? I like to think of it like this: passion can be caught, passed and transferred. It may not always be in the same form or mode of transportation, but my passion is highly capable of igniting a passion in another. The more I share my loves and interests, the more others will ponder about their loves and interests. They may not figure it out right away, and they’ll probably try a few things that they definitely don’t like, but I can guarantee they will eventually find the “it” that makes them come alive, that gives them purpose. The more alive we become, the more our work will elevate. It will reach deeper to more insightful levels, have greater purpose and create benefit to the outside world.
Lead by Being Moral: Morality doesn’t necessarily have to be rooted in religion or formal practices. It can be a feeling; a sense of right and wrong. It’s about truth. Staying true to myself. Being truthful in my interactions with others. Delivering work that I can stand behind confidently. When I drive my work with a moral gas pedal, my ethics will be visible to those around me. I may fail, I may slip up, but it’s what I choose to do following those situations that will define me and paint my moral picture for others. The stronger advocate I become of morality and ethics through practice and exhibition to and for others, the more I can help cultivate a community of moral and ethical leaders. We each have a social responsibility to the other; to support and stay true to my responsibility, I have to lead with morals.
Intentions. Passions. Morals. I will turn these words into action verbs and use them as tools to guide my growth, because someday I’ll have the opportunity to lead others formally and grow another life or generation to be the “someones” to look upon with respect and admiration. Here’s to leading without being a leader – Cheers!
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