“Leadership” is one of the most desirable yet poorly defined skills in today’s professional world. Today, people have a very myopic view of what leadership is. Many people view leadership as a hard skill that can be fully mastered through the completion of a certificate or course. While these courses and certificates absolutely have their merit as leadership development tools, simply placing these badges on your LinkedIn will not make you a leader.
In reality, leadership is the implementation of dozens of skills and competencies that must be developed over time. Some of the most notable are communication, delegation, context, change management, and relationship management. One of the best ways to develop as a leader is through direct experience, which is easier to get than most people think.
Leadership is found in all aspects of life, even if you cannot see it. The most well-known and desired leadership positions are CEOs, government directors, and elected officials. You might ask, ‘Why are these positions so desired?’. Perhaps it's the high salaries of CEOs, or the immense political prestige of government leaders. However, I think the real appeal is the formal authority.
With the title of “director”, “CEO”, or “senator”, you immediately turn heads in a room. People think “That's a real leader!” and recognize and respect the authority of these individuals. Are these individuals really leaders? Absolutely, and their decisions have immense consequences for the lives of thousands or millions of people.
However, the people who work below them are also leaders. It’s necessary that the senator’s team of staffers are leaders, so they can effectively and independently support the senator’s work. CEOs cannot run a company without other executives, and these executives need middle managers, team leads, HR staff, and plenty of others to keep the company running. Any government department is rigidly structured, but even within this rigid structure, directors need assistants, and those assistants need to delegate work to those below them.
Now this may seem obvious, and you might ask me, “Yeah, of course organizations have multiple leaders, I myself have a boss! But, how do I become a leader when I am at the bottom of the food chain, with no one reporting to me?” The way to become a leader is by simply acting as one. It is true that not everyone can be a leader in every situation; the world needs entry-level positions that simply do the work delegated to them.
First, I would argue that you can be a leader even at the lowest level of an organization. If you work as a dishwasher at a restaurant, you can still find ways to improve communication between coworkers, establish systems that increase efficiency, and act as a role model to others around you.
As someone who has spent a good amount of time washing dishes at a dysfunctional restaurant, I can confirm that the way you conduct yourself matters far more than the job you have. “Manager” is only a title, and most would much rather work with a motivated dishwasher who can effectively communicate and delegate than work for an unmotivated “manager” who has no firm control over the restaurant.
Leadership opportunities can also be found outside the workplace. The world is your oyster, and the only limit is your imagination. Start a charity, open a business, create an organization for your community or school, or volunteer somewhere; all of these are great opportunities to improve your leadership skills. The best way to learn is by doing, so get out there and be a leader!
