Taking the Lead

What does it mean to be a leader?

In their book The Art of the Possibility, Rosamund and Benjamin Zander describe a concept that he calls “leading from any chair”.  Benjamin Zander is a conductor, and The Art of Possibility is a book of leadership principles for living life and for working in an organization.  A conductor, like a CEO, is the clear “leader” of the orchestra.  But Zander advances the notion that the most successful orchestra empowers all the players to be leaders.  And that to be a successful part of an orchestra, the players will see themselves as leaders.  “A leader does not need a podium; she can be sitting quietly on the edge of any chair, listening passionately and with commitment, fully prepared to take up the baton.”

This is a notion that might seem unusual.  You are a leader.  No matter what you do in your life, you are a leader.  Certainly you are the leader of your own life.  You may not choose to take the lead, but you still are a leader.  In coaching, we believe that the only way to make change is to take ownership.  That to make change in something you do not like, or to achieve something you want is to ask, what is my part in this?  What can I do here?  Whether you are alone or on a team, the most important question is where can I take the lead?  And so, you need not wait for a leadership title to be bestowed upon you.  You can take the lead in your life.  What would that mean?

What would it mean to take the lead on a team?  Particularly when you feel things are not working?  If leading is not just a title; if leading is not even necessarily about what you DO, who would you need to BE in order to stand as leader?

So what does it take to lead?  You need only decide.  Decide you are ready; the time is now.  Decide you are tired of complacency or of blaming the people who you think have had the lead in your life to this point.  Then you might ask yourself a few questions:

What do I really want?

What would I do now if I was a leader in my life? In my organization? On this team?

Where am I holding back?

Where can I step forward?

Leaders lift themselves and they lift others.  Where will you lead today?

————————–

And if you want an impactful way to find the leader in yourself, or are ready to learn to lead in a different and more effective way, join my friend, colleague and coach, Kelly Mobeck in her LIFt program – 2 days of leadership skills and 10 weeks of group coaching on implementing those skills and principles in order to get the things you say you want, change the things that are not working and truly take the lead!

Leadership Impact Forum training

Her program is called LIFt (Leadership Impact Forum training).  Kelly is the first person (before Benjamin Zander!) who taught me that anyone can be a leader at any time.

So lift…

Lift yourself to where you want to be, to where you deserve to be, to where you always knew you could be.  Lift others.  Take the lead and lift yourself because you are the only one who will!

“If you don’t design your own life plan, chances are you’ll fall into someone else’s plan. And guess what they have planned for you? Not much.”  -Jim Rohn

About the Author

Cami McLaren

Cami McLaren

is the owner of McLaren Coaching. She has been coaching professionals and leaders since early 2008. She runs Transformative Coaching Essentials, a coach training program that produces first rate Professional Coaches and "Coach-Style Leaders." She coaches individually and works with organizations to improve communication, time management, productivity and ultimately bring greater results.

Get Our Newsletter
Recent Posts

Coach Highlight – Tim Stephenson

CM: Why did you enter TCE? And/or, what did you want to get out of it? TS: I entered TCE because I wanted to learn how to be with people the way my coach, Cami, was with me. I saw the power in that relationship...

Read More

Resilient

I am reading the book Resilient: How to Grow an Unshakable Core of Calm, Strength and Happiness by Rick Hanson (also the author of Buddha’s Brain). I found a section I wanted to share, because it articulated something so powerful to me in getting what...

Read More
Coach Highlight - MK Chavez

Coach Highlight – MK Chavez

CM: Why did you enter TCE? And/or, what did you want to get out of it? MK: I stepped into the TCE journey seeking the foundational skills of coaching because I had a transformative experience in coaching (as a client), and I wanted to bring...

Read More
Be committed, but not attached

Be committed, but not attached

A long time ago, I heard this quote that really messed with my brain. Though I cannot find the source of this exact quote, there are many similar Buddhist tenets. It has really helped me get what I want in my life, though! “Be committed,...

Read More

Share this Post

Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn
Email