Pied Piper

Those who seek power are often the ones who should not have it.

When I was younger, all I wanted was to have a job that provided two things – a lot of money and power/influence. I believed both of those desires were born from a childhood of being told we were always broke and our frequency of changing places we lived. I believed money and power would provide a stable future -one that I could control my life through.

It wasn’t until much later that I understood my reality. I didn’t posses the education, background, or temperament to be an official leader. I could barely manage myself and my own life, much less the responsibility of subordinates.

I eventually realized that real leadership isn’t about titles and that there are two types of leaders – Ones who have followers because they are required to by the chain of command and those people follow out of respect and trust… and rarely were they the same person.

But then I discovered what an actual leader is. It’s someone who influences others based on his/her ethics and behavior. Leading by example. It has nothing to do with anything I thought it did.

By now most of you have seen the joke/meme about how some people’s purpose in life is to serve as a warning to others. It may be a joke and I do find humor in it… but that’s basically me. The one positive aspect of all the shit I’ve been through is that I can be of help to others when they need an outside opinion or an example of what happens when certain choices are made – “what not to do”

Being a leader isn’t about a title, your pay grade, or even the person others view as the one in charge. It’s about being there to help others grow and prosper.

If you have to tell people you’re the leader, you’re not one.