True leadership means stepping up in crisis, answering the call when no one else will, and without seeking recognition.
I was reading an article recently about a man who spent a day training with a Navy SEAL team. Posted in one of the training facilities was a sign that said, “We don’t call 911.” This really stuck with me and based on what I know about the Navy SEALs, it makes a lot of sense. These are the individuals who are tasked with the most difficult and challenging missions. If they can’t get it done, there really is no one else left. Most of their work is done without recognition, in the shadow of night and we all enjoy the benefits of the protection they provide, even if we aren’t aware of the things they do for us every day.
I remember it was a huge moment for me when I started my own business at 29 years old. Finally, I had the freedom to act of my own volition and forge my own path. One of the things that had frustrated me in the past was reporting to leadership that “just didn’t get it,” so the chance to finally do leadership the “right way” was a truly exciting prospect.
It was only about six weeks into our fledgling endeavor that we encountered our first real crisis, and for the first time in my life every eye turned to me for answers, and I had nowhere to look but in the mirror. To that point in my career, I had always been under the protection of another leader who I could rely on to tackle the big issues and guide me to find the right solutions. I suddenly realized that going forward, it was going to be up to me to do the things that no one else could or would be willing to do.
How does your leadership measure up in a critical situation? You can’t choose to be the one at the front of the line and then tap out every time an emergency makes its way to your door; that’s not true leadership. When hard times hit, the leader is not the one who calls 911; they are the one who answers the phone.
Take five minutes and consider, have I really counted the cost of true leadership? When everyone runs away from problems, am I the one willing to run into the fire and give my life for the organization?
You may not ever get recognition for the many times that you will put your life on the line for the organization; however, it is the duty of the true leader to answer the call when everyone else has come up short. Today, remind yourself of the calling of true leadership and renew your devotion to always respond when duty calls.
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Brandon Pinkerton is a project executive at HP Engineering now IMEG. Connect with him on LinkedIn. |