Simple Stupid Stuff

Who is the Leader?

In your life, career, etc., who is the leader?  Is the leader the set of circumstances that befall you when you awaken each day, or which determine the outcome of your activities?  Is the leader the boss at work who hounds you everyday when things don’t go just right?  Is the leader the boss who rules with an iron fist, not caring about retaining good people but rather ensuring that everyone on the payroll knows who is in charge - and it happens to be him?  Is the leader the unacceptable pay-rate that you continue accepting by showing up at work each day?  Is the leader the excess work/under-payment that exists in your position, about which you complain daily to your spouse or significant other?  The bottom line question is, “Is the leader your circumstances, or are you the leader?” 

You must recognize that you are the leader, showing every other aspect of your life’s team where the journey is headed.  It is the leader that decides where to go, what to do, etc., convincing the team to trust and follow.  In your career, consider yourself the leader, and the circumstances around you are the team.  Circumstances can include time, the job, pay, co-workers, general working conditions, the satisfaction (or not) of doing your job, etc.  If any members of the team are contributing unacceptably, make some changes.  If you don’t like how time is performing in your life, make a change.  If you are unsatisfied with the performance of the “pay” member of the team, make a change.  Do your co-workers cause consternation for you?  Make a change.  If you find the general working conditions teammates underperforming, make a change.  Is the teammate named “satisfaction” dragging the rest of the team down?  Make a change.  Effective leaders don’t complain about all the terrible things the team members are doing, or how bad the circumstances are which surround and sometimes permeate the team.  The leaders decide to take steps to change things - to affect an outcome consistent with the mission.  Notice I stressed the word “decide.”  That’s because true leaders don’t wait for luck or happenstance to occur, hoping for the best.  They take decisive action, understanding that they are the ones responsible for changing the course of action and the outcome.

Face it.  You are reading this book probably because you are considering a job change, a career move, or just want to learn how to build that dynamic career referred to in the title.  Well, the first thing you must do is choose to be a leader in your career.  That doesn’t necessarily mean to suddenly take charge and tell the boss to step aside.  Why, don’t they know that you are now in charge and everyone in the department or company will answer to you, get their direction from you, or follow your commands?  No, no.  It means you must choose to lead yourself through your career with focus and a sense of ownership.  It means you are not going to continue to be led around by the circumstances that you face every day.  It means you will begin accepting responsibility for your state of being, career-wise.  Once you stop being the victim of circumstance and begin leading your career, you will be on the right track for a life whose rewards can be unimaginable!