When Leadership Becomes a Responsibility You Cannot Ignore Many of the best leaders I have known were not chasing leadership positions. They were not collecting titles or looking for authority. In fact, some had to be encouraged to step forward. That instinct can be healthy. Leadership should never become primarily about status. But there is another side to humility that we discuss less often: Sometimes we are called to accept responsibility we did not seek. A recent study of 286 working…
Category: Servant Formation
Turn belief into advocacy
Sometimes people do not need another course, workshop, or training program. They need someone they trust to say: “I know this person. Give them an opportunity.” That is one of the most practical ways leaders can serve others. As our careers progress, we gain more than experience and responsibility. We also gain access. Our recommendations…
Make Succession a Present Discipline
Leaders often treat succession as a future event. It is better understood as a current operating practice. Succession is happening whenever a leader shares context, develops judgment, distributes relationships, documents a critical process, or gives someone else the opportunity to lead a consequential meeting. It is happening whenever the team learns to solve a problem…
Authority Is Borrowed
On December 23, 1783, George Washington appeared before Congress in Annapolis and resigned his commission as commander in chief of the Continental Army. In his brief address, he described the work assigned to him as completed and surrendered the authority Congress had entrusted to him. Washington did not diminish his leadership by walking away from…
Leadership Growth Does Not Happen by Accident
Most leaders would never expect an organization to grow without investing in it. We invest in technology, facilities, training, and new talent. We develop strategic plans, establish goals, and measure progress. When it comes to our own development, many of us operate differently. We assume experience will prepare us for whatever comes next. We tell…