Five Things I Want My Children to Know About Being a Leader

To be a leader you must be yourself fully.

And being the you people know and care about means holding on firmly your values, accepting your vulnerabilities, and confidence that your empathy will always provide you with the strength it takes to be deeply compassionate and tolerant.

In the words of Warren Bennis . . . The point is not to become a leader. The point is to become yourself, and use yourself completely-all your gifts, skills and energies-to make your vision manifest. You must withhold nothing. You must, in sum, become the person you started out to be, and to enjoy the process of becoming.

You are strong enough to lead

While part of your strength will mean you don’t shy away from the ‘tough stuff’ of leadership like having hard conversations, you will do this respect and care for the dignity of others that swells from your kindness and humanity. It is because you care so much that you are exactly the right person to help others be accountable for doing their best.

You don’t have to be perfect!

You won’t be a different person, you will become more of who you are, and friends and colleagues won’t notice anything other than you being inspiring, responding to what needs to be done, and shining the spotlight on their achievements and successes, as you always have.

You can have and do it all

Your devotion to your family, commitment to others and high standards will keep you busy, and some days you wonder how you will do it all; you will. Your children and other loved ones are part of an on-going juggle – unless they need you and when they do, you will be with them. You hear phrases like work-life balance and through this is hectic at times, your heart tells you where you most need to be; and you will go there.

You can and will lead

Nothing can hold back the drive of those who see a better way and stride out towards it knowing it is hard work – they simply can’t not do it. You can and are leading, as you become the person you started out to be ‘enjoy the process of becoming’.

Reference: McCarthy, Lucy “Five Things I want My Daughter to Know About Being a Leader” Linked In, 19 June. 2016, www.linkedin.com/pulse/five-things-i-want-my-daughter-know-being-leader-lucy-mccarthy