Our Leadership Muscle
Leadership is like a muscle, it has to be worked if we want to be able to build up, maintain and have access to its purposeful skills, attitudes and behaviours throughout our journeys of potential. This takes effort, practice and consistency though, just like regularly going to the gym to develop any of the muscles that are in our bodies. This is why I was left feeling so humbled and inspired by a particular reflection from a Year 6 participant last Thursday. What she shared at the end of her classes L.E.A.D. with Me Program session summed up so beautifully our hopes for all the students we have the privilege to support.
"People tend to believe that practice makes perfect. I however believe practice makes progress. There is no perfection but there is progress." - Unknown
It was week 2 of 10 with the cohort's three classes (each class completes a 90 minute session per week). She hadn't been at the first session the week before so this was her first time participating within the various games, challenges and reflections that we use. From the beginning she'd shown a willingness to share her thoughts, but during the first half of the session she seemed to be very aware of the potential reactions of others as she spoke. She soon realised this was a safe space to dig deeper and was very open about the successes and challenges she and others were navigating. Our final reflection had just finished, I'm just about to pass the students back to their teacher, then her hand shot up one last time. "I feel like we're going to be stronger at the end of this program".
"I'm not telling you it's going to be easy - I'm telling you it's going to be worth it." - Art Williams
We know that leadership is a verb, not a noun. It's why we use, 'Leadership is action, not position' (Donald H. McGannon) as the quote that underpins our leadership development programs. We're in the leadership muscle building industry. We love hearing all about the different ways that participants go on to use their developing leadership potential to make a difference in their own and others lives. The Year 6 girls remark last Thursday reminded me of another L.E.A.D. with Me Program participant's reflection at the end of the 10 weeks last year. When asked to describe in what ways she felt she'd most grown and developed throughout the L.E.A.D. with Me Program, she wrote; 'Confident and I feel so much nicer now... Don't exactly know why'. We know why, she put in effort, practice and consistency to build up her leadership muscles.
"Earn your leadership every day." - Michael Jordan
Leadership is a journey, not a destination. It's also not a competition to see who has the 'biggest' leadership muscles. It's an invitation open to us all to own that our thoughts, words and actions matter, and when we purposefully use them we have the potential to make a difference for self, others and the world around us. But as the quote above explains, it's an every day thing. We're so fortunate to be walking this path alongside such inspiring students and their teachers. Participants who are open to, honest within and most importantly courageously take on practicing the skills, attitudes and behaviours that leaders have access to. What a journey it is!
"Leadership is a choice, not a position." - Stephen Covey
