As we started our Leadership and Management class last week, I felt as nervous as ever. Ten years of teaching this class and I still get the chills at the beginning of the course. As they introduced themselves, my students often say “this is the course that I was most looking for”, and I am always afraid to disappoint them. I cannot make them leaders, as they expect, but I can help them see the potential they have to become leaders by themselves. My role in the course is to empower them to realize that they already have the skills and competences to become leaders, they just don't know it yet. The way I see it, is that if they didn't have that inner restlessness, they will not be in my class.
As they read Warren Bennis “ingredients” for leadership, they magically open their eyes to see they have them all. Then, everything becomes a lot easier. I only have to provide them with the instruments to explore themselves; with exercises to define their goals and dreams and help them structure a plan of action to achieve them.
This is Bennis’s “recipe” for leadership.
You should have a guiding vision, a clear idea of what you want to do personally and professionally.You should have passion for your vision and love what you do because it is going to be with you every moment of the day.You should have integrity and truly know yourself, your strengths and weaknesses, your faults and assets. This is the most difficult part, because it is often hard to fully admit how we are.You should be curious because your vision will take you on a trip to the unknown, a better situation yet to be discovered.You should be daring and willing to explore, to learn new things, to take risks, to overcome fear and to stand up after you fail.
Can you find these ingredients within you? I am sure you can, otherwise you wouldn’t be spending time reading this. Start your exploration and to fulfill your dreams and become a better version of yourself.
Un saludo, and have a great weekend!