Leadership Myth #1--A Title or Position Makes You a Leader
This is so far from the truth it is unreal to me. Leaders are not defined by their titles. People who hide behind titles yet do not lead gain ZERO respect. On the flip side, a true leader is not stopped by the lack of a title or position! Leaders lead in spite of their position or title. They lead inward, upward, and downward.
I was talking to a friend last week and he was sharing struggles in his job saying that people were not showing him the respect he was due. I asked him what he had done to EARN the respect of his team and peers. He got a little unnerved and a little upset (I am about as subtle as a jackhammer most days), but he continued to listen. I shared with him that someone believed in him enough to make him the boss, but now he was going to have to start leading by example. I told him that his team should see him as the hardest working person on his shift, he should treat people with respect, he should correct and encourage on the spot, he should ask his team for help so that he could accomplish his goal.
I was happy to talk with my friend again today. Life is much better. He is leading with passion and enthusiasm. He believes that his title simply means that he is more accountable to the "higher ups" for how his team performs. He is now viewing leadership as active servanthood rather than an entitlement that serves him.
God expects the most out of His leaders or He wouldn't have gifted us with that gift. Your title is not an entitlement, it is an opportunity for accountability. What are you doing with your position to prove that you deserve to keep your title (or better yet, get a more important one)?
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