To Lead

People sometimes challenge us about using "To Lead” as part of our name. 

They see leadership as an overused word in today's world. So often it is seen as a term related to being superior or better than others.

For us it is more about encouraging and supporting a leadership state of mind. There are leaders all around us, they just need the opportunity and support to step out. We think our world needs leaders, good ones, committed and capable of doing what is required. 

We want people to be leaders. To be clear about what needs to be done and to have the courage to act. 

We know leaders are more likely do things rather than waiting for others to step in. They feel empowered to make a difference and create a change. 

However, being empowered does not make it easy. Leaders also require support and encouragement with taking the steps they know must occur. 

For a leader momentum is key. Then once moving choosing the right speed is also critical. Too fast and everyone will burn out. Too slow and frustration along with misdirected energies can undermine the achievements made.

Knowing the best way to proceed is part of being a wise leader. Wisdom though is gained from experience, this is both the positive and not so positive experiences. Being able to extract the learning, dust yourself off and have the courage to do what is needed next  is critical.

To do this well, you need others. So taking the lead can not be about doing it alone, far from it. Getting the right people into place, giving them support to make good decisions and then helping clear the obstacles from around them are important things for a leader. 

So setting up those being led requires a clear vision, one that emotionally resonates. Coupling this with defined goals, appropriate parameters and the necessary resources make success that much more achievable.  

So while there are many ways of approaching leadership, there are certainly ones that work better than others. But, whatever your way, hold onto the belief that got you started and the clarity around what you want to achieve. Then step forward and keep the courage to do what needs to be done...