Life Skills · 5 lessons

Leadership

Help people move toward something worthwhile together, whether or not you have a title that says so. 5 short lessons with worked examples.

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Help people move toward something worthwhile together, whether or not you have a title that says so.

The lessons

• Leading without a title — Leadership is an action, not a position. Anyone who helps a group see what matters and move toward it is leading.
• Creating clarity — People work best when they know what the goal is, why it matters, and who is doing what. Providing that is one of a leader's main jobs.
• Building trust in a group — Groups work well when people feel safe to speak up, admit mistakes and ask for help. Leaders shape that feeling more than anyone.
• Delegating well — Good delegation hands over the result, not just the task. Say what done looks like, give the resources, then step back.
• Helping other people grow — The best leaders leave people more capable than they found them, through stretch, feedback and belief in what they can become.

Practise

Think of a group you belong to: work, family, class or community. Write one thing that is unclear in it, one way you could make it safer to speak up, and one task you could hand to someone else.

• A considered answer tends to include: describes a real group and situation
• A considered answer tends to include: names something specific that would add clarity
• A considered answer tends to include: thinks about how others would experience the change

Try it this week

This week, in one group you belong to, do one leading act without being asked: summarise a decision, invite a quiet person in, or hand over a task with clear support.

Reflect

Who helped you grow the most, and what did they do that you could do for someone else?