When I was a kid, there was a commercial for Volkswagon with the slogan, “On the road of life, there are passengers and there are drivers. Drivers wanted.” I remember it well because I recall thinking to myself that I wanted to be one of the drivers. I think many of us have that calling to lead in some way, though what does that really mean? What does it mean to be a true leader?
Why do you want to lead?
Seems everywhere you look there are people trying to be leaders, and they are certainly leading, but the question is, where are they leading us and is it somewhere we want to go? It makes sense that people want to be “leaders” in our capitalist society because leaders draw a lot of attention, and attention leads to “success” from our Western world view definition i.e. money, status, influence. But those who want to lead simply for ego-boosting reasons are not true leaders in my opinion no matter how big a role they play in our society. They may have influence and create change, but if that change is not progressive, or worse, if it is harmful, then what’s the point in following them down their path? Motivation for true leadership should come from within and be for the purpose of aiding in the evolution of yourself and others.
Does credit and popularity define a leader?
