What is a leader? Who is a leader? Can leadership be learned? 

I will tell you what a leader is; a leader is somebody who impacts other people. The impact is the operative word here because an effect can be both negative or positive, but a true leader leaves a positive impact on other people’s lives. This doesn’t have to be something huge; this could be something as small as you were there and listened to somebody who was in crisis. Leaders lead people to success through modelling, praising, constructively criticizing, coaching, teaching and learning. Like many things in life, leadership takes mental and physical training, so eating healthy ups your cognitive skills to retain even more leadership skills.

The bottom line is that they are constantly seeking the development of themselves and others. Leading means that you have to hear other people out; you can’t know everything or be everywhere. Leadership also calls for an upgrade on interpersonal skills, which, believe it or not, is a formidable skill to master. The best leaders know how to speak to other people and articulate themselves diplomatically to get their point across. 

Leadership skills are fundamental in most jobs. It is one of the questions asked to get a job. People need to know how to make decisions, which is demonstrated through someone’s leadership skills. It does not matter the job, all jobs require some form of logic, and at some point, someone will ask you to make a decision. Most people think of “leading a team,” but no friend. Leadership at the primary level is making decisions, communicating, and listening. That is why I say it can be learned, because those three skills are continuously cultivated, starting from school, to friends, to teachers and life in general. Therefore, we as a society emphasized leadership. Or do we? I would argue that most of us, especially in middle management, are run with pack-type people.

We only say we are leaders to get the position, but once we have it, our passion leaves us, and we begin the anxiety practice of clutching to our jobs. Why? Passion is admirable, but money is fundamental for survival. Now, this is no way to operate; in fact, leaders are not afraid of risks or blowback because they are confident in their skills, and if the company does not appreciate them; a better one will. A leader takes the initiative and builds expansion; a pioneer, if you will. You must be thinking that leadership is inherited, or perhaps you are not a brave soul.

You are mistaken. Leadership is a learnable skill; for the most part, it is a learned trait. That’s why it’s so powerful being around people like yourself or like-minded people. Because they “lead” you to a better version of yourself. If you take a look around and think about some famous leaders, you will see that to a large extent, they aren’t always popular, and while leadership comes with many perks, it also comes with many critics. One thing that is for sure is that leadership needs to be backed by confidence. Mastering confidence and then taking a minor in self-esteem are the building blocks to creating leadership. 

Whatever you do, do not run with the pack; it is boring and safe. Safe, as many people have come to find out, is not secure. Now they are getting laid off. Leaders are memorable people. They have done or said something that people remember and have probably taken huge risks that some are afraid to take. Remember that leaders are unforgettable. The things they do and stand for are memorable. If you have had a great teacher or boss, then you know what I mean. They usually have instilled something in you which no one else had.

I think that in our society, we equate leadership with somebody who has a title. But what is a title? A title is just that, a title, and if you dig deep in many businesses and companies, you will see that many people just earned these based on nepotism. They usually don’t have the skills or the credentials for the actual position. In this short article, we won’t even talk about class, race or gender. I always tell clients I mentor not to get caught up with a title. Do your job to the best of your ability no matter what; if you get that promotion, great; if you don’t get that promotion, that’s okay. You are still that person, and you will always get what you put out into your workforce. But I always tell them never to get their identity caught up in that of a title. God forbid the day that you should lose that position and that title that came with it, you will no longer know who you are, and you will have no identity. If you are a true leader, titles are excellent, but they aren’t part of your identity. 

So I say all this to say title and personhood are very different, and you need to understand the difference between them. Just because you are a director or a CEO doesn’t make you a good person, nor does it make you memorable. The company could burn down, or they could go under, and who would ever even remember that you existed because they’ve never seen you come out of your office. However, being a good person should be valued in society to a much higher standard than a title. Today, we see this with all kinds of award shows that go to different countries and show the good deeds people in small villages do for their communities. They’re not doing them for photo ops; they’re doing it because it genuinely makes them happy, and they want to make a difference. Being of service is essential, and I always say that you can never let that thought leave you. Even for myself, when I had a very high position, I had never changed who I was, and the day on which I would have to change myself and compromise my values, I knew I was no longer in alignment with my position. And this is fundamental in the corporate world. We don’t live in 1950, where we strive for the former office. The corner office isn’t a thing anymore. Today we value freedom and strong values.