Sep

3

How to know when you’re not leading?

Filed Under Personal Leadership 

 

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Photo by Hamed Saber

 

People fail to lead when they act from the stance of a victim. People fail to lead when they act from a sense of helplessness. You have a victim attitude and are failing to lead if you recognise any of the following symptoms:

  1. You take no action until you have satisfied that you have complete information. That you understand all the steps and risks involved. This means you fail to act and nothing happens.
  2. You wait for authority and permission to act from those higher up on the organisational ladder.
  3. You expect senior management to provide you with all the answers and the solution to your problems.
  4. You place safety ahead of your vision.
  5. You avoid conflict by not raising issues and concerns which need to be address for any real change to occur.

This is not a leadership attitude. Leadership happens when we make the decision that what is happens around us is our responsibility. One of the hallmarks of effective leadership is the willingness to accept responsibility, to become the change we want to see in the world. Truly empowered leadership occurs when an individual comes to the realisation they they are the problem! That they are responsible for the problems in their life, the frustrations they feel, for their responses to circumstances and for how they feel.

Leaders adopt an empowered response toward life, they do not allow life to just happen to them. They have decided to own their life and their future, by acting everyday to create the future they want. The have accepted their responsibility to act to make the difference.

 

  • Do you have a vision for your life?
  • Are you acting to create the future you want?
  • Do you act as an owner of life’s circumstances and your future or more like a victim?
  • Have you decided to begin the journey of learning how to act on your vision and create the future that you want?

 

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3 Responses to “How to know when you’re not leading?”

  1. Don’t Get Caught In the Victim Cycle | Learn This on September 4th, 2008 7:23

    [...] Ambler just published an article on The Practice of Leadership called How to know when you’re not leading? In it he mentions that people fail when they act from the stance of a victim.  I couldn’t [...]

  2. Pancho Cerda on September 6th, 2008 1:19

    Hi George,

    congratulations because of your blog.
    I’m really interest in leadership, I study and develop it in my life and in academic.

    I would like to know if you know Ronald Heifetz theory.

    Best regards,

    Francisco.

  3. George Ambler on September 15th, 2008 20:11

    Francisco,

    Yes, I am familiar with Ronald Heifetz, I really like his work.

    I wish you all the best as you begin your leadership practice.

    Best Regards,

    George Ambler

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