The Uncommon Leader – Part 1
Leadership is Uncommon
You are not a leader until you discover those people who need you.
Previously, I discussed how leaders are built at home . I want to clarify this point further.
Leaders are developed at home; they are not created in the office, at schools, or in universities. While they may show up in these places, they are not formed there. Instead, leaders are built, designed, and formed in their personal time and personal spaces. They grow from within in an environment where they can become themselves.
Leaders are not made at church or in the broader community. A leader is shaped at home, where they feel comfortable surrounded by friends, family, colleagues, and neighbors. Ultimately, the foundation of a leader’s development is strengthened in the environments with these relationships.
That said, I would like to present a new concept for you: the uncommon leader. The term itself is an oxymoron because all leaders are, by default, uncommon. However, this distinction is worth noting, as many people think of leaders as common individuals. A leader is someone who steps beyond the ordinary and average to become something greater, better, or different—something uncommon.
As Dr. Myles Munroe stated, “Everyone is a leader in their area of functioning.” You become a leader when you realize that the world needs what you have to offer. This means that if you are functioning in a specific area, that area is what the world desires of you. It’s important to clarify that “the world” doesn’t refer to the entire globe—that’s too large.
Your world consists of the people that you can touch. Your world consists of the people you can influence in several areas:
- Your family.
- Your neighbors—your proximity relationships.
- Your mentor-mentee relationships—both the individuals you mentor and those who mentor you.
- Your general friends.
- The people in your inner circle.
- Your closest friends.
- Your significant other.
That’s your world. That’s your space, the spaces you can touch. In other words, you are not a leader until you discover those people need you. The people in your world need you. Until you realize this, true leadership will remain out of reach. It will slip away until you understand that those you are leading are relying on your skills to improve in the area of your expertise. Without focusing on the people right in front of you, leadership will continue to evade you.
You don’t crossover into leadership until you recognize that you are the gift with the power to make another’s life meaningful.
