Leadership Isn’t a Position. It’s a Daily Decision.
If you search online for leadership advice, you’ll find thousands of articles telling you how to become a better leader. Most of them focus on management techniques, communication styles, or ways to motivate employees. There’s certainly value in those conversations, but I think they often start in the wrong place.
In my experience, no one has ever applied for a job called “Leadership.” Even though it’s arguable the most important position in any successful organization.
People can apply to Manager of Such and Such an Area, a Director of Some Department, or even a CEO. Leadership though, isn’t the position they get hired to fill. It’s what they choose to do and how they operate, after they get there.
That distinction has always mattered to me because, over the years, I’ve seen people with impressive titles who don’t inspire. I’ve also watched administrative assistants, customer service representatives, operations professionals, marketers, and salespeople become the individuals everyone naturally followed. They didn’t have the biggest office or the highest title. They simply earned the trust and respect of the people around them.
That’s why I believe leadership is an intrinsic trait. It isn’t something your organization gives you. It’s something you practice every single day.
Do You Know “Amazing Grace”?
One of my favorite leadership quotes comes from Admiral Grace Hopper, one of the most respected leaders in U.S. Navy history. She said, “You manage things; you lead people.” I don’t think I’ve ever heard a better description of the difference between management and leadership.
Managers oversee projects, budgets, reports, and deadlines. Don’t get me wrong, those responsibilities matter. Every successful organization needs people who can manage processes well. But people aren’t projects. They aren’t spreadsheets or performance dashboards. They need encouragement. They need coaching. They need someone who believes in them, especially on the days when they don’t believe in themselves.
That’s where leadership begins. With people.
The leaders that I’ve most appreciated were never concerned with being the smartest person in the room. In fact, I love the quote that says, “if you’re the smartest person in the room, you’re in the wrong room.” These individuals were focused on creating a room full of confident people who knew someone had their back. Instead of constantly asking, “Did the work get done?” they asked, “What do you need from me?” That small change can make a big difference in the relationship between a manager and a team.
“Fear” is the Factor
We have all been there, and we have all seen it. Talented people who sit quietly in meetings because they were afraid to disagree with someone more senior. I’ve seen managers avoid defending members of their team because they didn’t want to create tension with leadership. I’ve seen people hesitate to give credit because they worried someone else’s success might somehow diminish their own.
The leaders people remember aren’t fearless. They simply decide that doing the right thing is more important than protecting their own comfort. They speak up when something isn’t right. They defend their teams when it’s difficult. They celebrate other people’s success without worrying about who gets the credit.
That kind of courage builds trust, and trust is the foundation of leadership.
Ok, this might sound morbid but stick with me here. One exercise I’ve done personally has probably taught me more about leadership than any book I’ve read.
I call it the Eulogy Leadership Test.
Imagine your peers, your direct reports, and your leaders are each asked to describe you using only three characteristics.
Not after you retire. Not after you leave the company.
In your eulogy.
What would they honestly say? Be honest, it’s just for you. He skips out at 5:00 every day? Isn’t approachable? Closed minded?
Then ask yourself a second question. What would you want them to say?
If those two answers are dramatically different, you’ve probably found your greatest opportunity for growth.
I’ve thought about that exercise many times, and I’ve narrowed it down to these three things I’d want people to say about me.
First, I cared more about what my team needed than what I needed. To me, leadership has always been about serving others before serving yourself.
Second, I worked my butt off. People don’t expect perfection, but they absolutely notice effort. Teams naturally respect leaders who are willing to roll up their sleeves and work alongside them.
Third, that I was just the right amount of crazy, in the best possible way. I hope people remember someone who didn’t let fear control them, someone who spoke their mind and someone who believed that crazy results come from crazy ideas.
“I’m Mom’s Favorite” Syndrome
I’ve seen it in organizations of every size.
For whatever reason, certain departments begin to believe they’re more important than everyone else. Sometimes it’s marketing because they’re more visible. Sometimes it’s sales because they generate revenue. Sometimes it’s operations because they keep the business running. Every company has its own version.
Eventually, someone starts acting like another department is “just support” or that someone else’s role isn’t as valuable. True leadership should kill that kind of thinking immediately.
The reality is that organizations don’t become exceptional because one department performs at a high level. They become exceptional when every department performs at a high level.
Sales can’t sell what marketing doesn’t communicate.
Marketing can’t market what operations can’t deliver.
Operations can’t operate without finance.
Finance can’t succeed without compliance.
Customer service protects relationships that sales worked hard to build.
The list goes on. Every role matters because every role contributes to the mission.
One of the leader’s greatest responsibilities is making sure every employee knows that their contribution has value. If people don’t believe their work matters, eventually they’ll stop giving you their best work. If you’re not constantly reinforcing that everyone has an important role to play, then you’re missing one of the most important responsibilities of leadership.
Culture is Your Brand
What can’t you see, can’t touch, doesn’t appear on a balance sheet, yet determines whether great people stay or leave? Culture.
Culture is built by what leaders allow to occur. By what they encourage and what they celebrate.
Every organization has talented people. Unfortunately, talent and character don’t always arrive together.
Sometimes the person who is smart or talented can be the one also causing the biggest problems. They may be good at their job, but if they’re constantly tearing people down, creating unnecessary drama, or making others feel less important, they’re damaging the culture. The unfortunate reality is that many organizations tolerate those behaviors because it’s easier than dealing with the situation.
I think that’s a mistake.
Leadership isn’t just about rewarding performance. It’s about protecting culture.
The rest of your team is paying attention. They notice what gets rewarded. They notice what gets ignored. If toxic behavior is tolerated because someone performs well, you’ve unintentionally taught everyone else what success looks like.
One talented person can help you in the short term. A healthy culture can help an organization succeed for decades.
The Virtue Signaler
I’ve also noticed another pattern that’s hard to ignore. Some people build their entire brand by pointing out everything everyone else is doing wrong. Every post becomes a reminder that their way is the only right way to do something. Every opinion becomes an opportunity to criticize others in an industry. It’s part bragging, part virtue signaling, and part putting other people down so that it props them up.
That’s never felt like industry leadership to me. More likely these same individuals are doing the very things they purport that others are doing wrong for their own personal and company gain.
Real leaders don’t elevate themselves by making others feel smaller.
Being Uncomfortable is Good
Ordinary is usually crowded. Excellence usually has plenty of parking.
The easiest thing to do in business is to keep repeating yesterday’s ideas. The hardest thing to do is to challenge assumptions that everyone else accepts.
That reminds me of another quote that has stayed with me for years: “The most dangerous phrase in the language is, ‘We’ve always done it this way.'”
I love that quote because it’s true. And leadership is paved with new ideas.
Will many of those ideas fail miserably, yes, they will. That’s okay. If you haven’t failed, you haven’t been trying.
Innovation has never required perfection. It requires people who are willing to ask questions, challenge conventional thinking, and occasionally suggest an idea that makes everyone else pause for a second and give you that side-eye look.
If every idea sounds safe, you’re probably not pushing hard enough.
Organizations don’t create extraordinary results by protecting the status quo. They create them because someone had the courage to suggest something different and leadership had the vision to implement. The cost of not doing something can very easily outweigh the price tag.
One of the most critical leadership roles is to be three steps ahead of the industry and the competition. Those that are not nimble enough will suffer defeat to those that are ahead of the curve.
At the end of the day, leaders share what they’ve learned. They encourage different perspectives. They challenge ideas without attacking people. Most importantly, they genuinely want others in their organization to succeed.
Leadership isn’t supposed to be comfortable. It requires difficult conversations, unpopular decisions, bold ideas, and the courage to put your people ahead of yourself. Anyone can manage a process. Not everyone chooses to lead.
That’s why leadership isn’t a position.
It’s a decision you make every single day.
Bob Brzyski
Vice President of Marketing
