Are You a Leadership Fortune Teller?
“I am not a leader and I am afraid of failure. Is there someone else more capable than I that can step-in and lead us to victory?”
These are some of the statements and concerns heard during Empower leadership activities and adventures. Individuals often question their ability to lead due to poor preparation, lack of confidence, drive, and initiative, along with a multitude of other reasons why they are not suitable to lead in a particular purpose or position. But, where does this fear stem from? Has this individual held the exact same position with identical scenarios and timelines? If not, this fear must be self-generated, not conclusive or final. This fear is a poor assumption and/or prediction of unfounded results and outcomes. These individuals must be fortune tellers and possess the supposed ability to foretell future events to the exact millisecond. However, individuals must shift their focus, and push themselves to be comfortable – in uncomfortable situations and circumstances. A person who’s willing to learn from their mistakes, mishaps, failures and achievements become a better version of themselves, for themself and others. One could make the argument that success as a leader does not require a magical crystal ball, smoke, and hoopla.
Look into the Crystal Ball
Have you ever heard the quote, “adversity builds character?” There are many proponents of this concept, however some philosophers argue that “adversity does not build character, it reveals it”. Through life experiences, hardships and glory, I have continued to develop my leadership style and attributes. Past experiences were the blueprints, utilized to shape how I would respond to or act towards a specific task, initiative, and/or idea. Additionally, I have learned from the mistakes of others to “properly ” prepare myself for unforeseen obstacles and imminent danger. The need to call upon my ancestors via a magical crystal ball to guide me through some spiritual enlightenment and awakening, is null and void.
“Only a fool learns from his own mistakes. The wise man learns from the mistakes of others.” – Otto von Bismarck
Smoke is Uncertainty
Preparation and decisive actions often lead to success in leadership positions – CLEARING what Nebel des Krieges termed “fog of war”. Therefore, proper preparation often “leads” to solid courses of action. Once an individual and their team formulate a plan, they must then execute said plan the way it was designed. If the plan cannot be executed as planned, or if it requires amendments, leaders and teammates should be compelled to make the necessary adjustments to accomplish the feat. Importantly, those obstacles/impediments that disrupted the initial execution or failure should be annotated and captured to prevent similar or exact outcomes. Preparation and decisive action makes the uncertain – certain, impossible – possible, clearing one’s mind of the fog of war and smoke utilized to hide one’s fear of invalid perspectives and ideals.
“Far too many wealth creators do their estate planning without considering the needs and desires of those who will benefit from the plan.” – David Lansky (Planning in a vacuum: Don’t get sucked in)
What’s Exciting About Leading – Hoopla
How often does the reader see individuals assert or proclaim themselves as the leader for an event or project without knowing or understanding the goal, rules and regulations and the resources available to them? You will notice that some of the individuals that raised their hand, do not know the plan, are at odds with teammates, or simply want to be “in-charge.” If said individual is not chosen, they become further disengaged, unruly, and may distract others from accomplishing the mission. They want to be part of the hoopla, and not the process. As a leader, your inherit job is to create other leaders. Therefore, turning the planning process into a hoopla is paramount. Success in team events, activity, and/or situations require buy-in from all participants. It requires participants to come together to create/generate synergy – “there is no magic bullet that guarantees success, there are specific actions or behaviors that can expedite the process!” Common ground, effective and efficient communication, support, sympathy/empathy, perspective, planning, decisive actions etc. are hoopla and how you will accomplish all goals with minimum to no fear!
Youth Leadership Development at Empower Adventures
At Empower Leadership, our leadership development programs help young people develop the skills and confidence to become leaders in their community. Not only are our programs are great learning opportunities, but they’re also a lot of fun. With adventure-based courses and our enthusiastic instructors, your child is sure to have a good time and make some memories. To sign up for a program, contact Empower Leadership today!