Rock

#Beingaleader means you are a rock. Not easily swayed. You know who you are and what you believe. You stand for something. And you defend others. Sometimes, even to your own short term detriment.

You cannot be easily swayed and be a good leader at the same time. You may feel that you are sometimes easily swayed, but a leader gains experience standing his or her ground. Someone you develop into that doesn’t just go the way the wind is blowing. Or someone that doesn’t immediately react to an aggressive email, for example. You investigate and search for the truth in a situation before reacting. You are a rock.

It’s important to note that you must stand for something. Another way to say that is that you know what you believe. Are you a truth teller? Are you someone who desires to matter? To have your work or your free time, matter? If, for example, you are just in it for the money or status or prestige, you really aren’t a leader. Leaders stand for something beyond themselves. Not just for themselves.

You may sometimes have to defend those on your team against the onslaught or attack on their or the team’s work product or goals. Sometimes warranted. Sometimes not. But it’s your job to stand as the rock between the aggressor and your team. Defending doesn’t always mean agreeing with. Sometimes you may actually agree with some or all of the remarks of the aggressor but you still defend your team and then work behind the scenes with your team to rectify a potential issue. You don’t let others attack your team. Your team needs to be able to depend on you. You’re the rock.

#Beingaleader means you are a rock. Stand your ground.