Do you consider yourself a leader? A good leader? How do people respond to you?

Do you draw others to yourself, to your ideas, and your positive influence? 

I have the unique privilege of speaking, training, and coaching on leadership. As I travel and work with organizations, I witness a growing number of individual, men and women, who are committed to growing their leadership and impact.

What is a leader? 
A leader is someone who has the capacity to create a compelling vision that takes people to a new place, and translate that vision into action.

Leaders do the following: 

• Draw people to them by enrolling them in their vision
• Inspire people to unleash their potential
• Empower others, their gifts, and their talents to make bold contributions
• Pull others up rather than push then down

This “pulling” style of leadership attracts and energizes people to enroll in a vision of the future.

In American Sign Language (ASL), the sign for “manage” is to hold your hands as if you’re holding on to the reins of a horse, or restraining something. The sign for “lead” is to cradle your arms and rock back and fourth, the way a parent would nurture a child.

Are you restraining others or nurturing them?

Some leaders do more harm than good. Have you ever worked for someone who made you nervous or a little crazy? A lot of workplace stress has to do with managers who create insecurities and make jobs more challenging, rather than less challenging.

Proper leadership empowers the workforce so that workers have a human bond, a sense of community, and a sense of meaning in their work. Empowering leaders give the workforce a sense of competence, community, and commitment, rather than compliance.

I encourage you to learn to lead and empower others. Be the type of leader others want to see coming their way. Be the leader you have always wanted to follow! 

Here’s to Building Better Leaders!
—Steve