I think it would be arrogant of me to define the word leadership.  The truth is, I don’t really have a definition I can verbalize.  I don’t have a mantra that I repeat to myself daily, that I can share with you to give you inspiration.  The best I can do is share with you a couple of my core beliefs, some of the lessons I have learned along my leadership journey, and the brilliant words of others.  The compilation of my stories and the lessons I have learned is my definition of leadership.  These lessons build upon each other, so I should really start at the beginning.

 

In high school, I was involved in a myriad of leadership positions: President of the band and key club, captain of the baseball team, etc. I attended a few leadership conferences in high school, most notably the Hugh O’Brian, and National Youth Leadership Conferences.  I distinctly remember becoming completely flustered once when asked about my definition of leadership.  I always viewed leadership as a very abstract concept - easy to spot, but impossible to define.

 

My NSCS journey started during my freshman year of college. As I learned later, NSCS has it’s marketing done through the company Envision.  The same people who started Envision had created the National Youth Leadership Council that I attended in high school.  NSCS approached me as a student at Arizona State University and asked if I would like to help them create a chapter.  I brazenly accepted, though I really had no idea what I was in for.  Though I didn’t know it at the time, accepting the challenge of creating a student organization at ASU was the catalyst for most of my college experiences during my later years. 

 

Behind the helm of NSCS at ASU, I quickly learned that people don’t need a leader in order to stay put.  The concept of leading implies a goal, or destination.  Starting this chapter of NSCS at ASU was definitely not the easiest path for me.  But by taking this risk, I was able to step into a role of leadership, attempt to inspire and lead those around me, and make a difference in my community. I had a very clear picture of what I wanted to accomplish, and what I thought that NSCS-ASU should accomplish.  However, others were having trouble believing in the goals I had outlined.

 

Leadership is the art of getting someone else to do something you want done because he wants to do it. - Dwight Eisenhower

 

A mentor of mine once told me this story.  He worked in a Fortune 500 company in upper management, and had a distinct vision for the direction his division must take in order to be successful.  Sensing that his staff would be resistant to change, he decided that he could not lead his staff based entirely upon his own vision.  Instead, he met with his staff individually, and confided with them: He explained the need for a change in direction, but did not provide his solution.  He instead asked his subordinates for their solutions.  By cleverly crafting his questions, he was able to have this staff develop HIS vision as though it was their own.  In this way, his entire staff left feeling as though they were a leader in this change.  The book Leaders who Make a Difference by Burt Nanus and Steven M. Dobbs describes this concept by noting, “Leaders inspire a shared vision.” 

 

A good leader inspires others with confidence in him; a great leader inspires them with confidence in themselves. -Larry Andrade

 

Unfortunately, I met the above mentor long after I learned the lesson myself.  I will always remember the turning point of the NSCS chapter at ASU.  After a few months of attempting to guide the organization towards my vision, it became obvious that my board’s motivation and morale was very low.  For our next meeting, I printed out a full list of everything I wanted to accomplish during my term.  When the meeting started, I gave these directions: “In front of you is a full list of my goals.  Read them carefully.  Then, crumble up the paper, and throw it at me.”  It was a ridiculous request.  But the board understood what I was trying to say.  We spent the rest of the meeting devising a group vision for the year.  With everybody invested in shared goals, we ended up accomplishing an amazing amount in a year.  But it was only possible once I stopped strangling the group with my own goals, and supported them with their goals.

 

During my term as NSCS-ASU president, I applied for and was elected President of the first ever National Leadership Council for NSCS.  As training for that position, I attended the Leadershape Institute in Champaign, IL.  (As a side note, I would highly recommend the experience to anybody.  One unique aspect of the Leadershape Institute is that during the first day, you are asked to create a goal for yourself that you must stick to for the entire week.  I have taken many personality tests, and I have consistently been labeled as “dominant.” So, I decided that my goal was essentially not to lead.  I would force myself to let others control group discussions, so that I could silently observe the style of others, as well as learn about myself.  At the time I didn’t know how powerful a goal this was, but I was freed to learn much more about myself than I ever had while in charge.  

 

As a result of the Leadershape Institute, I walked away with two realizations.  First, in group settings, I tended to believe that my opinion was superior, and would repeat myself until others agreed.  Not a good leadership quality for sure.  Second, the quiet people in the group often have the best idea.  It’s surprising the brilliant ideas that can formulate in a mind that isn’t busy talking! But these shy members of a group have the opportunity to digest every side of a situation, and devise a great solution.  The problem is that sometimes these shy people will not share those ideas with the group.  I have found that personally asking the shy people for input helps to help them feel included, as well as brings important ideas to the table.

 

Don't be afraid to take a big step when one is indicated. You can't cross a chasm in two small steps. - David Lloyd George

 

The lessons leading up to this point were all realized during my freshman and sophomore year of college.  I had been very fortunate with opportunities, but as elected NLC President, my most difficult challenge was on the horizon.  It was a great honor, and I was scared to death.  In my previous positions, I had been able to interact directly with those who had selected me as their leader.  I was now expected to represent hundreds of thousands of members from across the entire country.  The closest member on the leadership council lived 800 miles away.  I was asked to write inspirational columns and speak to audiences, an incredible responsibility.

 

When I look back on that experience, I know I was ready for the responsibility.  There was one lesson I learned the hard way that I will carry with me forever.  When I look back, I should have realized it earlier.  I’m not going to go into the details, but I will tell you this:  I had never considered the fact that being in a leadership position means people look up to you.  It seems obvious.  But I always wanted to be the leader who provided leadership from within, not above.  I have always tried to structure the organizations I lead as flat as possible, but the truth is that a leader must set the example every hour of every day.  If you forget that people are watching, for even a moment, it could come and bite you when you least expect it. I learned that a leader must lead with integrity at all times, and remember that that everything they say and do reflects upon them and the group they are leading.

 

There are many leadership lessons that can be learned from the top.  With a title comes responsibility and power. But it is also important to remember that supporting a leader is an important kind of leadership as well. 

 

Example is not the main thing in influencing others, it is the only thing. - Albert Schweitzer

 

I was in downtown last weekend around noon looking for a place to eat.  On Saturday in Phoenix, most delis are closed.  I found a new shop, offering “gourmet sandwiches and coffees” which looked good.  As I crossed the street and entered.  The inside was beautifully decorated, but there wasn’t a single soul inside.  I almost left, but decided to give it a try anyway.  I ordered my lunch and sat outside on the patio, it was a great day.  As more people walked by and noticed my companion and I enjoying our meals, they decided to stop in.  By the time we left, the shop was over half full.  

 

Some less noticed leadership in organizations can be very similar.  If an idea is suggested, and you take the initiative to support the plan and the leader, others will follow suit.  It is difficult sometimes.  It is especially difficult in organizations where you used to be in leadership, and have been cycled out.  But leadership has many forms and faces on many levels.  And sometimes the person supporting the leader can truly make the most difference. 

 

 

The final test of a leader is that he leaves behind him in other men the conviction and the will to carry on.- Walter Lippmann

 

If there is one thing about leadership that I feel strongly about it’s this – Leadership carries with it the responsibility to instill and nurture leadership in others.  I have treasured all of my leadership experiences during college, but in each instance, I believed two things. First, the organization can only grow stronger if new leadership is found.  Once goals have been achieved, it is time for this new leader to bring skills and ideas that will further strengthen the cause.  Secondly, leadership is a privilege and honor.  One moral responsibility of a leader is to step down, and allow another to experience this responsibility.  

 

Someone told me once – “Never give advice. A wise man won't need it, and fool won't heed it.”  So here’s my advice:  Lead with an open heart and open ear.  Pour all of yourself into your leadership, and you will live up to those expectations of others and yourself.  Listen to the lessons of others; but remember that your own lessons are going to be the most important.  The only way to become an effective leader is to lead, so take the initiative! 

 

Leadership is not magnetic personality—that can just as well be a glib tongue. It is not "making friends and influencing people"—that is flattery. Leadership is lifting a person's vision to higher sights, the raising of a person's performance to a higher standard, the building of a personality beyond its normal limitations. – Peter F. Drucker

 

I’ve learned a lot.  But the most important thing I have learned is this – Titles may come and go, but we are all leaders, and leadership means continually learning, evolving, taking risks, seeing what makes people tick, pushing towards that shared vision, empowering leadership in others, and recognizing that we all carry the responsibility that the leadership journey bestows.

 

You gain strength, courage and confidence by every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face. You must do the thing you think you cannot do. - Eleanor Roosevelt

 

Safe Travels!