BEWARE THE LEADERSHIP ROLE

    What I notice about so many who "play the role" of leader-coach is that they take themselves and life very seriously. When this occurs, the spontaneity, joy, lightheartedness, and humor become invisible ( assuming these traits ever existed). In the absence of such characteristics, true,effective, inspirational leadership/coaching is not possible. Humorless,joyless leadership/coaching is an oxymoran. Basically, the "role" begins to define who you are and as a result, you lose touch with the real you...a human being having a leadership experience, not a leader having a human experience. You may have noticed how many doctors, because of total identification with their role, can only relate to others as patients, or case loads, or "the heart case in room 117". Such impersonalization leads to doctor/patient interactions that are  unauthentic and at times, outright dehumanizing. If you lose yourself in the "role of leader-coach", you run the risk of not having authentic relationships with those under your guidance. Remember that extraordinary leadership/coaching is ALL about relationships...the creation of safe, trustworthy,respectful,human relationships. No relationship...no leadership. Authentic, emotionally engaging relationships are impossible to create when you get too absorbed and lost in the role. Be a human being who is working in a leadership/coaching capacity and really understand that when you buy into "the role" model, you prevent yourself from being an inspirational and empowering and influential leader/coach. The cure for your potential demise as a good leader is AWARENESS. Be aware of how you talk and interact and treat those you guide. Is your role and the subsequent way you relate to others causing distance, is it making you feel superior, does it prevent emotional engagement, is it a block to being transparent when transparency actually facilitates realness and authenticity, the common denominators for effective guidance? My wife is an amazing person who works as a doctor...she doesn't wear a white coat ( Fly her "Role Flag", as it were).  I tell my students, if it doesn't interfere with your education, call me Jerry...that's who I am. I gain their respect, trust and their following because of who I really am, not my socially sanctioned title. I must let-go of self definitions and focus on being what I really am...a servant helping others to ultimately say:"We did it ourselves".
   Now, I refuse to take myself too seriously. I have somethings to offer you and beyond that, remember that we are all 98% the same...human beings and the differences are ONLY in our BELIEFS. Let me think about what I just said as it rolled off my tongue and into my computer. Who am I???   JPL