In this two-part series, I detail out the basic definition of what it means to be a leader. Too often, our world produces books and speeches about the qualities of a leader, but rarely does anyone take the time to discuss the definition of what a leader is. While these conversations are good, they do not serve to equip people to develop and grow into effective leaders - because they gloss over the basics, which is where we all need to start.  And that is a shame, because leadership is THE THING THAT CAN SOLVE EVERY PROBLEM IN OUR WORLD.

Here’s my definition of what a leader is:

A leader is someone who is ahead of everyone else, and works to bring their team to their future vision.

In Episode 7, we talk about the first part of that definition - what it means for a leader to be a person who is ahead of everyone else.  And it boils down to 2 simple facts:

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   A leader thinks about a future vision.  A leader is someone who says “where we are right now is not ok. We need to move to a better, improved state”. Literally, a leader is mentally ahead of most people because they are not thinking about the issues going on right now. Rather, a leader is focused on where they want to move to in the future.

   
   
   

Application: commit to a future state. Detail out a goal or status that you want for yourself and your organization. If you aren’t sure what thi means, go listen to Episode 1 of the Big Things Done Podcast, where we talk about how to find “your big thing”.

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   A leader is motivated by their future vision. Our society loves to tell people to “live in the moment” and only focus on the things that are immediately in front of you. Not so for a leader. A leader’s actions and decisions completely revolve around moving to a future vision. A leader will do things that are not enjoyable or may not make sense in the present, in order to move closer to a place they want to be in the future.

   
   
   

Application: Find the link between your future state and your daily tasks. Divide a piece of paper into 2 columns, left and right. On the left column, write out every one of your daily tasks.  In the middle of the right column, write your future state or desired goal. Now draw a line between each of your tasks and your future state.  Above each line, write 3-5 words that explains how the task relates or brings you closer to your future state.

Be sure to listen to Episode 8 (part 2) for the second part of the definition of leadership.