I invited a young martial arts student of mine onto my school’s Leadership Team tonight.
…And yet she is one of the most soft-spoken students in the entire school.
She doesn’t project her voice or speak with conviction… she doesn’t try to claim the spotlight or do things that give off “main character” energy… and she definitely doesn’t cause a ruckus or make sweeping impacts on the vibe of an entire class…
And some of you might be confused by this… because isn’t that what leaders do?
But, I learned long ago that leadership is influence, nothing more and nothing less.
And what I’ve noticed is that she’s always on top of her curriculum… and people tend to go to her for help… and she’s one of the first people I go to when I need help helping another student… she comes in early and stays late… she’s selfless and takes above and beyond initiatives to help her family, our school, and even other charities… and she always influences the class with a warm, focused, committed energy that may not sweep up every student… but definitely impacts a few each time.
My intention sharing this with you today is to remind you that leadership doesn’t always have to look like what you might see at the top of our local, regional, and national social hierarchies. Leadership is influence. And if there are people around you who are influencing others to act in a way that you (or your organization) would love to have them act… maybe you should consider acknowledging that person, too.