What does "everyone leads" mean to you?
OUTGROWING OUTDATED IDEAS ABOUT LEADERSHIP
Author: Michael Grochowski, Milwaukee, Wis.
Growing up, I assumed leaders had certain traits and qualities that I didn’t seem to have. I thought there were “natural” leaders who were born to lead. I thought leadership was the description of what these people did.
I never saw taking care of my younger siblings as an act of leadership. I never saw organizing basketball games on my block as an act of leadership. I never saw speaking up for what I thought was right as an act of leadership. But caring for others, organizing people and speaking up are all examples of actions we see from leaders.
While I think we can learn to become better and more effective leaders, I think everyone has a history of leading. Rather than trying to emulate our dated concepts of leadership, “Everyone Leads” are two words that encourage us to recognize and build upon our history and everyday actions as leaders.
Michael is enrolled as a Public Ally in Milwaukee, where he works at Pan-African Community Association as an after-school program facilitator.
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