Leadership

I really love the sayings of Zig Ziglar.  That name is a memorable handle to me.  I have a friend called Serge.  His email starts powerserge.  I love that.
It seems so often people think of a leader as someone in charge of a pile of troops (I am sure there would be a better word than pile).  Or they may think of the captain of the Australian cricket team as the leader.  Or if I was in North Korea I may think of the “Dear Leader.”
All of those instances are true but a leader to me is a very encompassing term.  In fact I think everyone is a leader.  I may not be responsible for others, but can I lead myself?  Well I can, but if I’m asking, “where are you taking me?” I think I’m in trouble. 
In a family the father and mother are leaders.  At work if I am responsible for the performance of others, I am a leader.  It does not matter if I am responsible for one or 1000 and one, I am a leader.
Leadership is about making others look better.  For myself, physically that may be a bridge too far.  The best I can do is give it a go.  But as far as the job goes, of course I want to look good.  Though I have seen it often enough where there is a look without substance.
Beyond doing my job well, there is another other way I can look good.  That is to make those I am responsible for look good.  It is a natural progression.  Make those I am responsible for look good and I will look good.  Conversely if they look bad I will too.
I have a mate who was on the front line of a business and worked like a dog.  He must have done his job well as he went to the next level.  He told me he had nothing to do.  While I have trouble with that, I think I can see where they were coming from.  If those at the coal face look good, the company looks good.  The role that looked like it had nothing to do had the role of making others good so the company could look good.
I am fond of taking the line of least resistance.  If my leader is slack, I can too easily be like that too, and get away with it.  On the other hand, if they do their job well, more often than not I want to do mine well too.  Especially if the boss is a tough dude – or dudess whichever the case may be.  It can be shape up or ship out.
Hopefully it does not come to me being shipped out.  I want to do well no matter what position I am in.  It is amazing how that opens doors.  No wonder there is so much head hunting going on.  If I lead myself and others well, I am a wanted man.  Not as in police poster wanted, but wanted because of the qualities I bring.
It is not voodoo or magic.  Be the best that I can be, and make others better, and there is no limit.