Spirit of Leadership

THE SPIRIT OF LEADERSHIP the inherent leadership capacity and potential that is the essential nature of human beings. The spirit of leadership, which is what most of this book focuses on, is the mind-set or attitudes that accompany a true leadership spirit and allow the dormant leadership potential to be fully mani fested and maximized . Clearly understanding this differ ence is critical for discovering and living out your leadership capacity. In this chapter, we’ll take a closer look at the lead ership spirit. In the next chapter, we will explore the spirit of leadership. WHAT IS THE LEADERSHIP SPIRIT? In my leadership lectures and seminars, which I share with governmental, educational, business, nonprofit, and religious organizations around the world, I usually begin with a statement that encapsulates my philosophy of leader ship: “ Trapped within every follower is a hidden leader.” I am always amused to watch the reaction on the faces of the audiences as they attempt to grapple with the implications of this statement. I can usually predict their first thought, which is often the question, “If every follower is a potential leader, then who is going to follow?” This reaction is natural and legitimate in light of our traditional concepts and phi losophy of leadership, as they have been promoted over the centuries. However, the above statement contains the essence of what the original philosophy of leadership was intended to be. It is upon this premise that I propose the belief that leadership is inherent in the human spirit of every person, L EADERSHIP COMES DOWN TO TWO THINGS : WHO YOU ARE AND HOW YOU THINK .

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