Leadership isn’t a game; it’s a lifestyle.
That’s not to say you shouldn’t have fun. There’s always going to be competition and a desire to win in life. There are also opportunities for collaboration and a desire to make things better for others.
Leadership isn’t for your amusement or a way to fill the void between birth and eternity. Leadership is a choice and matter of character, not “putting in the time” or a stepping stone in your career.
Leadership affects lives. Period. It’s not something you pull out of the closet to fight boredom, and you sure as hell can’t just put all the pieces back in the box at the end of the workday. Not if you’re any good at what you do.
Leadership is about vigilance, vision, and creating a future. Those are not things you merely power down from when you’re done because you are never finished.
Leaders do not complain about problems bigger than their pay grade. If they can make things better, they do, even when it’s inconvenient.
You practice leadership; you don’t perfect it. Leadership isn’t about you; it’s about how you help others.
Leadership isn’t about waiting your turn or rolling the die for a chance at a lucky break. Leadership isn’t only for the elite or the educated, it’s for everyone and can be found everywhere. The difference between lousy leadership and good leadership is good leaders give a damn.
Also published on Medium.