I don’t read enough books on leadership. I’ve read some, I have a few on the shelf that I should read, but I wouldn’t consider myself a student let alone an expert in the matter.

With that said, as I continue to grow as a leader and embrace some of what it means to lead I’m learning more about what a paradigm for leadership looks like in my own context.

Leadership, in my context, is influence. It is earned and it must be continually validated. Authority is not necessarily given due to your credentials or education unless those things express themselves in a life worth following. As goofy as it sounds I think the phrase “street cred” creates the best picture for leadership. If leadership is influence then you’ve got to be connected with people enough to earn respect, to deserve respect, and to exhibit something ‘followable’. Entering into a scene with an assumption that people should or will follow you because of x, y, or z just doesn’t do justice intimate relationship between leader and follower.

This blog is not flowing how I would like. Let me change trajectories just a bit here.

In many ways I am terrified to view myself as a leader. It’s not only because I am become more and more aware of the reality of what leadership demands but also because I am becoming more and more aware of the huge and beautiful potential reality of a healthy, humble, leader…and that potential both excites and worries me. What if I cannot ever attain that fantastic view of leadership that I’m beginning to imagine?! Hmm…if I were to throw out some phrases regarding what kind of leader I’d like to be I think it’d include phrases like this…

leaders listen.

leaders have see things that don’t yet exist (both in people and in systems).

leaders lead with hospitality.

leaders lead by example.

leaders lead out of their brokenness.

leaders empower.

leaders never stop learning.

leaders are invitational.

leaders are imaginative.

leaders lean on others.

But more than anything leaders are just one piece in a puzzle, one part on a body, one person in the family. A friend once shared with me that they mistakenly believed that the opposite of bad leadership is no leadership. The reality, in fact, is that the opposite of bad leadership is better leadership (pretty deep thought eh?). I want to be a better leader. I want to see more better leaders. It’s hard. It requires a lot. Opening up self, and life, and home to others requires much…but as a leader how can I invite others around me if I don’t do so first myself?