A few weeks ago I endorsed a LinkedIn contact for leadership. After receiving the notification of her endorsement, she sent me a message thanking me. She then went on to say she was surprised because as a teacher, she doesn’t see herself as a leader.
What is leadership?
Leadership is bringing people into new realms of excellence and challenging them to become distinguished in their chosen field. ~ Onyi Anyado.
From my definition, I had to change her mindset and understanding to what leadership really is. For a long time, leadership has been perceived as people who have global conglomerates with turnovers of millions of pounds or dollars. In fact, from my school of thought, leaders of distinction can be teachers, teenagers, mothers, small business owners, entrepreneurs as well as global thought leaders.
The first part of my quote states ‘leadership is bringing people’. For me, the art of leadership is serving. Serving people with your time, talent and tenacity. When I endorsed my associate for leadership, it was for the fact as a business studies teacher, she is serving young people with her talent so in turn, her students can become talented in business studies and then leaders in their own right.
The LinkedIn Influencers we follow such as Richard Branson and Reid Hoffman are serving us with their time. Why? They spend quality time writing articles that lead us into new possibilities and opportunities in becoming distinguished.
The second part of my quote states, ‘new realms of excellence’. For me, to become a leader of distinction, it is critical you are constantly leading people into the arena called excellence. Do you know as you read my article, somebody is following you? You might say you only have one person following you on LinkedIn but leadership isn’t about numbers, rather, leadership is about impact and leading a person or people into new realms of excellence. The ironic thing is when you lead with excellence, people will naturally follow you. So, are you leading people into new zones of excellence or, into the comfort zone called mediocrity?
The last part of my quote states; ‘and challenging them to become distinguished in their chosen field’. To become a leader of distinction, your life, thought leadership, creativity, excellence and vision has to always challenge people to hit the target called distinction. Isn’t it interesting that even after his death, Steve Job’s is still challenging people to become distinguished. You’d be surprised how many mothers, students, entrepreneurs and CEO’s are being constantly challenged by his vision.
So, to become a leader of distinction, you need to constantly serve those who are following you with your time, treasure and tenacity. Knowing leadership isn’t about numbers but rather impact, it is vital you are already established in the zone of excellence before you bring the multitude with you. Finally, to become a leader of distinction, it is critical your life, thought leadership, creativity, excellence and vision is challenging people to receive, believe then achieve the goal of distinction.
I’ve called 2015; The Year of Double Distinction so, here’s to your continued success, distinction style.
The Doorway To Distinction is available to purchase as an E-Book via the online store: http://www.onyianyadomediahouse.com/store/#!/The-Doorway-To-Distinction-E-Book/p/9415032/category=2231511
