Earlier this week I was on a call and was being asked questions about being a woman leader. I don’t really think of myself as a leader.
Yes, subconsciously I recognize that I’m a leader for my company and my team, but yet I still didn’t consider myself as a leader. I think of a leader as the big cheese in charge of a large corporation or large group of people – or even the country.
The conversation went on and she asked if I knew any other leaders who I could introduce her to. I decided to ask for clarity and said, “What is your definition of a leader?” Her definition was much more encompassing than my own. She felt a leader could even be an older child who has taken initiative and saved his younger sibling from drowning. A leader could be someone who is motivating others or inspiring others, even a small group of “others”.
I then became curious and decided to Google “What is a leader”. The “official” definition is: 1. The person who leads or commands a group, organization, or country. (Synonyms: chief, head, principal, etc.). 2. The principal player in a music group.
Mindtools.com has this definition: According to the idea of transformational leadership, an effective leader is a person who does the following:
– Creates an inspiring vision of the future.
– Motivates and inspires people to engage with that vision.
– Manages delivery of the vision.
– Coaches and builds a team, so that it is more effective at achieving the vision.
It seems there are various definitions of leader, and as I think more about this, parents are leaders. They are influencing their children. Teachers are leaders. Politicians – good and bad – are leaders.
Forbes had an interesting article from 2012 called Top 10 Qualities That Make A Great Leader. These qualities are:
As I take this new role as leader, I do not take it lightly! I will continue to be the best me I can be!
What do you consider to be qualities of a leader? Share with me below.