Leadership

Good leadership is something that is easy to appreciate and hard to find. Leadership takes intention and practice. It takes perseverance and patience. It requires building relationships and building people.

I have taught a leadership development course and through it realized how much I need to do to scratch the surface of decent leadership. I have watched people be willing to lead but fail because they didn't know how or didn't commit to what is required. I have watched people become leaders without intending to but the way they conduct themselves made people want to follow.

I'm reading some books on leadership now. By virtue of my position at work, I need to become a better leader and studying how to do so is important to me. Studying it opens my eyes to some people through history who have been leaders and it is fascinating to learn more. Last night, I was reading a brief passage on Theodore Roosevelt and now I want to know more about him. He worked hard to achieve certain things in his life and in doing so, led and inspired many, many others.

I do appreciate leadership in it's many forms. In the class I taught, the earliest premise was "wherever two or more people are gathered, someone will be the leader." I wanted to make everyone aware that in our company, whether someone worked in the executive office or the shipping department, there was an opportunity for leadership and someone would take it...for better or for worse.

I don't know where I'm going with my thoughts today other than writing what has been on my mind this morning. I hope today I will become a better leader than I was yesterday.