Where Does Leadership Begin?

For the last 35+ years I have listened to people in both the military and in the corporate world complain about how screwed up their leaders (upper management) are. 

And often times, they are exactly right in their views too. In truth, I have been guilty of it myself. 

But where does leadership begin? 

Does it begin with the CEOs? With the company Presidents? With the Vice Presidents? With the Directors or Program Managers? 

The answer is – NO! 

Leadership begins with each of us, from the entry level person to the highest ranking person in the company. 

We exhibit leadership when we take care of our own responsibilities and help others when we are able. If we all did that, how much better off do you think we’d be? 

But, nonetheless, it is common place to criticize those in leadership roles over us. Sometimes the criticism is warranted and sometimes it is a placebo to make us feel better about the things at which we are lacking or failing. 

When I got to my first operational squadron in the Navy I started a log entitled If I Become King. 

I would write down the things that I liked and didn’t like about a variety of things I saw, including my leaders and the things they did that made me shake my head in amazement. It's a good thing I had all the answers back then.

I kept that log until I became a Lieutenant Commander (O-4). Then one day when I was a department head I went back and reread that book. 

Actually, that was why I kept the book. I wanted to remember the things I liked and didn't like, and would do and wouldn't do when I Was King.

Wow! Over 75% of the things I criticized about leadership turned out to be more about my own misgivings than the leaders I was commenting about. 

That was when I started getting the idea (even after all of the formal leadership training I had received in the Navy) that leadership starts with me, not my leaders. Self Leadership!

It was up to me to do my part in the big picture. If I couldn’t lead effectively there, how could I expect to effectively lead when I got a bigger piece of the pie? 

Leadership starts from the bottom up! It starts with SELF!

For more information about how The Cobalt Group can help you with any business or leadership challenges you are facing, Contact us.

We want to hear what you think. Leave a comment and let’s start a discussion.

Copyright © 2013 The Cobalt Group, LLC. All rights reserved.