Leadership is a Daily Decision

Leadership:

Simon Sinek’s video on leadership was an excellent reminder of my leadership training in the military.  In the video, Simon Sinek describes a scene where he was waiting to get on a plane. Simon stopped at a gate before being able to board the plane at the request of military security personnel.  One of the personnel stopping him at the gate could have been me, had the cards been dealt differently.  The military  is breeds leadership into the troops through the coupling of training and application.  The military changes the way we you see what a leader is.

The Experience:

My brothers and sisters in arms, and I lived off leadership.  When we visited other units we could smell how bad leadership affected the air when you went to different units.  Meanwhile, a unit with good leadership would shine like a light house in a dark environment.  Therefore, the environment I experienced within the military was excellent at introducing me to good, bad, and ugly leadership.

The Environment:

Troops work 14-16 hours a day, thousands of miles away from their families.  Troops who are faced with these conditions still do not consider giving up as an option.  Everyday they get up and go to work.  As a result, the quality of the leadership these troops serve under determines their commitment to the job.

The Results:

Leadership, brotherhood, and duty bind the people who work under these conditions together.  Tough conditions as described force the veil off and a person’s true ability to lead comes through.  The natural leaders came to leadership as simply as breathing.  The art of serving others while promoting the accomplishment of the mission is the heart of leadership.  Leadership is a decision we make everyday in our daily activities. The way we handle ourselves and conduct business sets an example to others about what is appropriate behavior.

Bottom Line:

People will follow your lead when you demonstrate in your everyday activities you have the integrity and tact to lead.  Following is a unconscious decision on the part of the person being influenced.  However, the decision to lead and set an example is a conscious decision.