Dear Leader (Psst…that’s YOU! 🫵)
A few months back I was having lunch with a good friend who is also a leadership trainer. We were talking about leadership (as one might expect!) and at one point I put some things in terms that made him think.
Me: “I think as soon as someone has a vision and starts moving toward it they automatically become a leader.”
Him: [Thoughtfully] “So, everyone’s sitting there, a leader, just waiting to get their vision?”
Me: “Exactly!”
Him: “Hmmm…”
He wasn’t QUITE convinced, but I think we were both right. On one hand, you could say that anyone who has any kind of vision is a leader. Like, I have a vision for a clean plate instead of the dirty one in my sink and BOOM I’m a leader in my kitchen. I mean, it’s true on a certain level, but I acknowledge that it does sort of reduce the concept of leadership to absurdity.
But here’s where I think I AM right. I bet there are WAAAAAAAAAAAY more people with big, ambitious visions for their life and the world than their results would indicate. And if you’ve made it this far into this post I can almost guarantee that YOU are an aspiring leader with a bigger vision than you have yet actualized. Because stuff gets in the way. Stuff like…
😞 Self-doubt
😞 Conditioning from society and the people around you
😞 Unremitting negative self-talk
😞 Fear of failure
😞 Fear of appearing foolish
😞 Life getting busy
It usually comes down to one of those. And I should know - I struggle with all of them myself. We allow all of these to affect the actions we take at every moment. Since all actions get reactions, our results are what follow. Change what inspires your actions and you will change your results.
Now, here’s the funny thing about our current age. It’s a STRANGE time in human history. Our Western world is a curious amalgamation of the biggest social safety net ever AND more entrepreneurial opportunity than ever before.
Want to start, grow, scale, or improve something? You can. There is lower barrier to entry for any of that than ever before, in pretty much any industry for which you might have a passion and vision. And we know more than ever about both market research AND trusting your intuition for guidance. All the information is there. If you’re open and interested.
So, Dear Leader, it’s really your choice how big (or small) you want to play these days. If you WANT you can sit on your couch collecting food stamps. You can be the leader of that vision. Or, you can take the leap and start an international mega-corporation. All depends on what you want. If you’re reading this I’m pretty sure it’s not the former. Perhaps not the latter either, but somewhere in between is your sweet spot and it could look like all kinds of different things. There are no wrong visions. It doesn’t even have to be a business. It could simply be greater influence or increased social favor of some kind.
So, are you being honest about that? Or are you letting all that stuff get in the way?
If you’re unsure, I can help you find the answer: https://calendly.com/aaronjmarx/30min