Today is Election Day in the United States – and for that reason I’m thinking about the word responsibility. It doesn’t really matter what day you read this, because our need to think about responsibility from a team leadership perspective is always critical.
Today though, as I thought about responsibility, I read a quotation from Jackie Huggins an indigenous Australian author and activist, which I sent to our Powerquotes Plus Subscribers . . .
“To my mind, you cannot speak about the need for leadership within our communities without being prepared to take on responsibility yourself. Its not enough to point the finger at those who have let us down and to expect others to come forward and fix our problems. Nor can anyone afford to call themselves a leader unless they truly have the interests of our community at heart.”
— Jackie Huggins, Indigenous Australian Author
Questions to Ponder
Where is leadership needed in the communities I live in?
When have I been a leader?
Action Steps
Look for needs.
Forget titles, just take action.
You are a leader if you take responsibility and lead.
These ideas raise several important points for us as leaders.
Whether you define your community as a physical place or group, your workplace, or you team, the message is the same. We have a responsibility as leaders to take action on things that matter.
Our leadership skills aren’t defined by our title, or our words, but by our actions. Not only are we responsible ourselves, but we know that we will influence though our actions (creating a cycle of responsible actions from those we lead as well).
Want a leadership development activity for the rest of your week (or month)? Consider the Action Steps written above (and modified only slightly):
1. Look for needs.
2. Forget titles, just take action.
3. Remember that you are a leader when you take responsibility and lead.
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