You too can be a Leader

The exercise of leadership does not necessarily require an official position or management title. You can be a leader in your family, your workplace , your circle of friends. Here are some of the ways you can take a lead without needing an official position.

There is nothing worse than being in the company of perpetual moaners. Their complaints spread like the coronavirus on a sneeze, infecting those near them. Did you know that optimism is also contagious? Emotional strength builds up immunity against grumbling. So the next time you feel sorry for yourself, put your self-pity aside and instead speak and think positively. To quote Bill Johnson in his context, “If God is enthroned on my praises, who is enthroned on my complaining? If I enter His gates with thanksgiving, whose gates am I entering when I’m complaining?”

We so often waste energy and time fretting about things we cannot control: long queues, lost luggage, other people’s actions. The author and founder of The Complaint Free World movement, Will Bowen says, “Complaining is like bad breath. You notice it when it comes out of someone else’s mouth, not your own”. Focus on what you can change, not what you can’t.

There is an old definition of insanity which goes something lie this: Doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result. We need to be a little more self-reflective than that, don’t we? Taking stock of what has happened today or this week will help to identify what has succeeded and what has failed; what has workedand what hasn’t. Remember, human nature seems to enable us to critically examine everyone except ourself. If you are seeking the truth, honesty begins within.

To be able to lead well, self-awareness is very important. Self-control is indispensable. Stress tolerance is necessary. Emotional flexibility is vital. These things take practice, but life usually presents plenty of opportunities. We just need to be able to recognise them and prepare ourselves to deal with them.

One word of warning: Good practice of these things will not always work. I’m thinking in particular about dealing with toxic people. You may need to keep away from such, if you value your time and success rate.