Are you DOING leadership or BEING a leader?

Often when we try to define leadership, we speak about activities. Doing leadership is important and covers many actions that need to get done: Managing people; managing tasks; getting results; setting a direction for the business are just some examples.

Being a leader has a different emphasis. This is where leadership becomes part of your DNA – who you are and how you behave. Being aware of your impact and how you show up as a leader is key to the ‘being’ aspect of leadership. Being a role model, a leader that people look up to and creating an environment where people want to work with you is crucial to leadership.

An example of being a leader is when you can say, “We are facing this challenging situation and I am not sure what to do.” You don’t need to have all the answers yourself. Ask questions, ask people around you what they think, ask what they’re noticing.  Ask them for suggestions. Then take all the information, put it together and lead the way by taking action. Decide on the way forward and communicate it.  

Doing leadership is taking action, creating a strategy, creating a plan, setting objectives and determining milestones. 

Being a leader is how you show up, how you lead your team and your organisation through challenge and good times, how you conduct yourself, how you communicate, how you involve the people around you. Do you ask questions or do you command? Do you empower or do everything yourself? 

That’s the critical difference between doing leadership and being a leader. 

Doing is about the actions – the what. 

Being is about the way you go about it – the how.

Both are crucial to success – do you agree, share your thoughts, I’d like to know.

If you’re looking for a leadership mentor that will help you grow your leadership mindset and achieve your business goals, get in touch with us for one-on-one leadership coaching & mentoring.