The Duty To Lead

Anyone who has been in a profession long enough will encounter the question of whether to step up and lead others or remain as "the talent".

The structure of most all organizations makes it seem that being in management and rising up the ranks, "climbing the ladder", is the way to succeed in the corporate environment. The concept of having a career, the term itself, which roots stem from the word for road-track; point to a fast race against others. Notice even in my first paragraph that I say "step up" while referring to becoming a manager and leading.

Some of the best advice I received while being the talent myself was the fact that one does not need a title to lead. Leading and managing are two related but different functions. The purpose of this entry is not to argue what separates one from the other - there is already a lot of literature on this - rather, my point is that we can all lead others even while performing other non-management roles.

The beauty of leading without a title is that one really needs to radiate such magnetism that others will be intrigued and inspired enough to want to allow one to lead them. Once a title is placed there is a certain ability that a manager has to lead; however, if it is abused or if no value is further presented, then the talent will loose respect for their leader, or worst- destroy their motivation.

So, there is a lot of practice that an individual can be exposed to before becoming a formal leader and these skills will be ever-polished further with time and experience.

Leading, therefore, is a duty. It is a duty whether one's company promotes one into a leadership position or not (yet). Once someone has their footing in any entity, feels the confidence to guide the people around them, and believes that his direction has a positive outcome for others and themselves- it's time to serve as a leader. There is no need to wait for a promotion in title or an increase in responsibilities. This is stepping up!

Surely, a fine leader will eventually be approached by management about joining the formal leadership and at this junction a decision is required. This decision is not uni-dimensional; it's not whether to manage/lead or not. It involves various factors which include:

• Do I have the desire to serve other colleagues, putting their needs above mine?
• How will the new position and profession affect the time and presence that I'd like to devote to my loved ones and personal life? What's the trade-off?
• Is this the right company culture where I want to grow up as a leader?
• What do the leaders in this company or in the industry look like in terms of balance and personal happiness?
• Where do I want to end up in this new profession (of management) in five years? ten? twenty years later?
• What dreams am I giving up by embarking in this new career?
• What dreams will I realize if I'm successful in rising through the ranks?
• What is my true talent and how can I leverage this to serve others and making this world a better place?

These and many other questions will come up and should be answered. The world needs leaders but the world also needs the talent performing what they are best at. It is a personal decision yet like all decisions it doesn't have to be a permanent one. If your company has a mentorship program for rising leaders, this is a good opportunity to shadow managers to learn what their day-to-day and week-to-week is. It is important, if one is going to do this exercise, that the manager being followed exposes the challenges of the position which may not be available except for certain times during the year (i.e. quarter closes).

Regardless, having a purpose bigger than just oneself will be a way to make any job and career fulfilling. The duty to lead may be focused just to one's personal life and/or family and this is absolutely okay because for most of us work is a means to an end- to live and provide for ourselves and our loved ones. Now for those lucky ones that can work within the field where they have the most passion, then retirement isn't necessary.

A career isn't about a destination. It can be but doesn't need to be a race. It can be a joyride, even in a race-track where one can drive fast and enjoy the forces of physics and the air outside. Too much obsession about climbing the ladder could likely make years of our lives fly by while waiting for an outcome that may never come; or, if it does, it probably won't be enough and we may have by then sacrificed some of our health and relationships to get there- that's when it's lonely at the top. But growing into a leader is fulfilling because it's a natural evolution of someone committed to a profession. And with balance along the way then life can continue to be magical during the journey!