It seems like these days, more people want to be leaders than ever before. This is something that’s really fascinating to me because of how those people view leadership.
Many see it as just a progression in their career. They think the next rung on their ladder is to lead others, influence others, or what have you. Some want to push their own agenda and just have the power that comes along with being in charge. I feel that people who think like this are misguided — and leadership may not be for them.
Here’s why: In my experience, leadership is the most selfless role you can have in business.
At its core, leadership is all about helping someone else succeed.
For example, here at Crisp, we evaluate our leaders based on the success of their team — not the success of the leaders themselves. So if their team is failing, it’s pretty easy to conclude that they’re failing to do what needs to be done in their leadership role.
Heavy lies the crown, you know?
Leadership isn’t about the perks or the power that comes with it. It’s tough.
While everyone else is out having a good time, you may have to be burning the midnight oil, planning, anticipating, and shouldering everyone else’s burdens — because ultimately, their success or failure lies in your hands.
Sure, everyone on the team is responsible for their own effort, but at the end of the day, the leader is the one who makes the game plan, provides the support and mentorship, and does all the other things that are necessary to make a team successful.
And here’s the thing — if you are in a leadership role that you can’t necessarily deliver on, there’s nothing wrong with that. Some people are great on the court, but it doesn’t mean they need to be head coach.
But if you are up for the challenge, and you are ready to take on the accountability and burdens of others, I can tell you there’s nothing more satisfying than helping your team succeed.
In the end, leadership is really all about empathy, understanding, caring for others, and giving, giving, giving until the goal at hand is achieved.
