Bill Nelson

Leadership is a lot different than what some people make it out to be. If you want proof then go talk to a mid level organisational leader and find out what I mean.

From what I see, leadership, teamwork and culture are the buzzwords or the in vogue business speak right now. As part of this business speak, there are the titles that are attributed and associated with everything, especially on the leadership side of things.

Thought leaders, Community leaders, Branch leaders, Product leaders, Creativity leaders, Associate leaders, Team leaders, Remote leaders, Innovation leaders.

The list goes on.

Fancy titles for reasons unbeknown to me. Maybe it is to give significance to the role? Maybe it is given so that the position fits in a certain pay scale?

As you have seen me write many times, leadership is not about the title you have, it is about the person you are. Just because you have a fancy title doesn't mean that anyone will follow your lead.

Watch movies, read stories, investigate case studies, listen to CD's, audiobooks and the like. All of them, in their own way to some extent glorifies the position of leader.

Now please don't get me wrong, leadership can be a very rewarding, exciting and fulfilling experience.

But for most it is also a very challenging, lonely, and perhaps frustrating existence.

The skill and approach needed will not necessarily come from books, courses, conferences or online.

It will come from observation, understanding, real world experience. As you are gaining this real world experience, those that you are supposed to be leading aren't too interested in your ongoing development. They are only interested in the effective leadership that you can provide to them right now.

Chances are you will probably never get the opportunity to have everyone hanging on your every word. They won't ask how high when you say jump. You wont be able to deliver the big 'final game of the season' Hollywood scripted speech.

Your leadership, if not already so, will be a scary experience. It will be filled with times of self doubt. It will have you questioning over and over again is what you are doing the right thing for you and those around you?

It will demand that you follow a set of values, principles and standards. When you do there will be consequences to your thinking, behaviour and actions. When you don't those consequences will be magnified a thousand times.

Your leadership will have you searching for the real you, and at times it will tempt you to be something other than yourself. First part (you) is good, second part (not you) is bad.

But I suppose in the end your leadership journey, like so many other aspects of life, will become whatever you make of it. What your leadership is or will become will be a direct reflection of the decisions you make, the beliefs you have and the effort that you put into it.

The one thing it probably never will be is the image that is perpetrated in so many different ways and through so many different avenues of late. Don't get sucker punched into believing that leadership is the fantasy land that most try and highlight.

As I said if you want the truth, go talk to someone that does it in the real world and does it everyday.

They will give you their perspective of their reality of leadership. However in the end all that truly matters is what you make of your leadership. How you challenge, develop and improve yourself and those you lead.

Chances are your leadership will be tough, it will be demanding it will be lonely. However at the same time it will provide you with an opportunity to take people to places they are not capable of getting to themselves and that will be one of the most rewarding experiences of your life.

The Journey Continues!