THE DORMANT LEADER

   I have have observed that every one of us has the extraordinary potential to be a leader. In fact, I believe we are all leaders yet for various interesting reasons, those innate, natural traits remain beneath the surface of our persona...in a word, they acquire the status of being DORMANT...asleep, untapped, hidden, obfuscated ( what does that mean?), frozen in time only to be thawed when the need appears. For example, there is a story about some people standing around watching a young boy pinned under the wheel of a car that rolled down the driveway only to come to a stop  on top of his little body. Amid the frantic crowd appears a 65 year old woman who lifts the car and directs the others to pull the boy from under the tire. She demonstrated the leadership qualities of courage, determination, integrity, fearlessness, sacrifice, commitment, and audacity, traits she never believed existed within her.
   Now, because I believe we all have leadership traits, I also believe that not everyone of us must or should  be leaders. Even if you are considered  by others to be a good leader ,  it not a good enough reason to take on that role.  You must have love and passion for wanting to serve others in this way... you must be eager and willing and ready to demonstrate those special qualities that we all have to different degrees. For those who choose not this path of leading,coaching,mentoring,parenting...that is just fine but know you choose so, not because you can't but because you exercise your power of choice. Ironically enough such a decision is, indeed, a leadership trait...so there, you are a leader who coaches yourself to follow the path of your own heart.
   OK?  Now, here is an exercise for us to do. List 10 traits that you will find in good leaders you have known. Be brutally honest and underline 3 of those traits that you believe you have or are capable of demonstrating at various times. Now, if you have been wanting to show leadership but have had the "I  feel this is not me" syndrome, take those three traits and write down all the ways throughout the day that you can demonstrate these as a way to give and serve others from this place of leadership. Keep it simple,keep it specific then proceed to watch how others respond to you and how you feel about exercising what were dormant traits. Only do this and be this way IF you have had the inkling to dabble with something new. SIMPLE yet NOT EASY...Yes?
   I'm leading myself away from writing...getting somewhat antsy to lead myself up the mountain and follow some deer... GOOD Leadership is a give and take...leading and following...it's BOTH.
   DocJ