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Reasons You Are a Leader

Forget trying to be a leader. You are a leader and you may not realize it. If you read most articles, they will tell you how to be a leader. They all assume you are not a leader.  Instead, I am going to focus on how you are a leader in your professional life or personal life.

  • Voice – Maybe you ask questions no one else does? Do you advocate for yourself or others that could not on their own behalf?  Leaders carry a presence in the language they use with themselves or others. Their decisions, thoughts, beliefs lead a lasting impression other people.

  • Visibility - Leaders always end up front and center, no matter the situation. Perhaps you are taking an exercise class and ended up in the front row everyone watches you.  Maybe you are suddenly singing louder in the choir?  Perhaps you were the person in the middle in the group picture? Leaders have a natural born presence to them. They somehow end up getting seen and do not easily blend in the background.  
 
  •  Unintended Role Models - Since leaders are so visible and do not blend in the background, suddenly everyone is watching you and what you are doing.  Did you ever think that you are alone and “just doing your thing” only to find yourself with company? Has anyone ever said that they watch you do an activity?  As creepy as that sounds, it is because they look to see what you are doing and want to do it also.

  • Trendsetting- Many people have a natural flair for this, especially when fashion is concerned, but trendsetting does not just apply to fashion. It applies to everything from social media to hobbies. Is your first then something that everyone picks up on? Did the hidden gem of a restaurant suddenly become the local hangout?  It happens to all of us in different areas of our lives.
 
 
  • Inspiration- Leaders offer inspiration. They ignite passion within an individual. Did your story ever become the reason that someone started a new healthy habit or quit a bad one? Did you ever offer advice to someone that kept them going when they found themselves in a difficult time?
 
Leadership is not something that can be taught. You cannot take a course to become a leader. If there is one theme in any of the above examples that distinguished a leader from a non-leader, it is ACTION.  Leaders do things.  They live their lives as a verb. Regardless of your status in your professional life. You may be a leader in another aspect of your life.  As we close out 2015, forget tying to be a leader. Be the leader you are.

I welcome questions and comments.  All of the above are my thoughts alone and my inspiration comes from existing. I can be reached at kcirincione@gmail.com, on Linked In at https://www.linkedin.com/in/karenjcirincione or on Twitter at @KCirincione. 

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