Leadership - No Title Required

A quiet leader doesn't need a title.

Stephen Covey of the The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People fame in his book The 8th Habit: From Effectiveness to Greatness talks frequently about leadership not as a position but as a "proactive intention to affirm the work and potential of those around us..." Simply stated leadership is a choice not a title.

I recently enjoyed an article by Wayne Tumel on Management-Issues.com where he describes this as "Big L" Leaders (with a title) and Little L leaders, no title required. Here are his thoughts (Make sure you interpret the Big L's from the Little l's),

• Leaders don't necessarily lead
• leaders aren't necessarily Leaders
• Leadership sometimes shows leadership but sometimes doesn't and there isn't
  a lot you can say or do
• leadership doesn't only reside in the Leadership

Leadership (in this context, I really mean leadership with a small "l") is for anyone. Just because you work in the trenches, are a hands-on worker, are an able doer, doesn't mean that you aren't a leader. No title is required.

Thanks for reading. Please lead quietly
Don