Leadership - It's Not For Everyone

Posted on March 31, 2021 by Rico Nasol, One of Thousands of Executive Coaches on Noomii.

Leadership is something that is fundamentally part of society. It is necessary in any good society that someone stands up and takes responsibility for the survival of that community. Leadership is essential, we know that, but does that mean everyone out there is a leader? The fact of the matter is that some individuals are not necessarily meant to be leaders. Not to say that they are just followers, but they don’t have the desire to push anyone or everyone. With that said, it is just as important to have “followers” as it is to have leaders. Leaders set the example and model behavior so that followers can replicate those behaviors (hopefully in a positive way) so the community can continue to thrive. So, where do you lie? Are you going to take on leadership roles within your life? Or do you do best once the behavior is modeled?

For many people, the instincts to take those leadership roles just comes to them naturally. It is just something that happens. They step up to the plate when needed. They respond first in class. They take charge of the game on the playground. They step up to the task on the job. While you can not be first in every case, individuals that have leadership skills will often be seen and heard throughout their lives. This doesn’t mean you cannot learn and develop the skills to be an amazing leader, this just illustrates that some just have an inherent drive or ability to always take the lead.

Again, many great leaders aren’t born with that instinct. People with an ambition to be a leader can do so by taking classes and studying the necessary skills that it takes to be a leader. While all of this may sound simple, it can be quite a task to learn. It is hard to teach a person to react in a situation that is not planned well. You may witness this trait in your own life with the leaders currently around you. They have this knack for being able to “rally the troops” or to inspire people with simple acts or gestures.

Because leaders are determined by their actions, we often see that leadership roles are filled with individuals who put themselves out there to be chosen, so to speak. But, this is not always the case. In many cases of emergency, leaders are those that take charge long before anyone else reacts. In that, these individuals will have a cool head about themselves and be able to see the necessary work ahead while others are worrying, panicking or simply in shock. These are probably the true leaders in our society.

Remember that leaders aren’t defined by the titles they have, but by the actions they take. If you make the people around you better. If people are inspired by you and you love to push people to be their best selves, that is leadership. Don’t focus on the “title” of a leader, focus on BEING a leader.