Leading from where you are is a concept which was presented to me in 2018. I was attending a Positive Difference Leadership course with the incredible Robert Ritchie, a former Rockhampton resident. This course was held in Rockhampton and was enabled by Capricorn Enterprise at a subsidised cost to members. As a small business owner, we value our membership with Capricorn Enterprise and appreciated the opportunity.
With almost 20 years in corporate organisations, having attended course after course to enhance my skills and knowledge in targeted business areas, it was in 2018, after small business ownership for three years, that I decided to take charge of my learning journey and seek out what interested me. Leadership.
The Positive Difference program was a strengths-based education piece and delivered a tailored approach to individuals. With a room filled with small business owners, the overarching audience was catered to; however, the variety and custom approach to each individual’s skill was unpacked during the process.
This workshop was hands down one of the best I’ve ever attended. Whether it be because I chose it rather than was asked to participate by an employer, perhaps it was because I invested my own money. Or possibly it was because of the timing that it arrived in my life. Whatever the reason, I owe Rob Ritchie a drink when he’s next in town!
As listed above, broad overarching statements around why this might have been an incredible course for me are purely for reader purposes. I know why. I know why it was so impactful because the answers to the questions we ask ourselves live within us, and it’s up to us to uncover what they are and learn how to extract them. This skill, though, is not what I’m writing about today. However, digging deeper when you don’t know why you feel or seek out what you do is a tip to explore.
Leading from where you are means you’re a leader, even if you don’t have direct reports. If you don’t have a title or position which tells the world you’re leadership material, you still can lead. Often it takes time and experience to build up to leadership; however, if you apply a leadership approach in whatever you are doing, you can only succeed, or fail forward.
Put simply, this means that in any role within an organisation, community group, or family, for example, you have the potential to grab hold of your position, your development, your influence, and lead. This takes on many forms and can include leading your personal development, leading from within your team, setting great examples and helping others along their personal development, life and professional journey.
Leading from where you are is about having the confidence, skills, self-awareness and understanding to support your team, group or organisation in achieving their goals, while working in parallel with them. It’s about knowing yourself, understanding your strengths and individual talents and leading from whatever position you are in.
What I find fascinating is a person’s inability to see their potential. As a corporate Leader and Volunteer Leader I am surrounded by incredible people with excellent leadership strength who have yet to harness this, or don’t want to embrace the responsibility at all.
One person, in particular, comes to mind, and I must admit, I see something unique within them, and I am very much looking forward to the day when they realise the gift they have. I hope they realise, embrace and take charge of their journey and development and discover the world needs people like them to lead.
On the other hand, I’m also surrounded by people promoted beyond their capabilities. Of course, my own judgement is not something I’d share with others, but nevertheless, there is always potential in an individual who on the surface appears to be promoted beyond capability.
Leadership is an action, not a position. This is why everyone indeed does have the ability to lead from exactly where they are. Remembering, the beauty of empowering others is that your power is not diminished in the process.
Everyone has a distinctive talent. Sometimes those talents are blatantly obvious, and some are hidden. However, unlocking your talent and using it to your potential is the first step in ‘Leading from where you are’.
