Leadership forces you to improve yourself.
I will expand on this statement shortly, but for now, consider whether we are all able to grow into leadership, or, if leadership is an exclusive innate quality.
Our position on the source of leadership will determine whether we rise to demonstrate leadership, or defer to others.
I began attending business networking events to generate more business opportunities. I was introduced to Business Networking International (BNI). BNI is a world-wide face to face networking organization; the most successful of its kind. Networking is live and in person.
I applied for membership of a BNI chapter in Central London.
A question on the application form asked what level of contribution I would be willing to make toward the administration of the Chapter; Leadership being one option.
At the time, I did not express interest in a leadership role.
This decision was based on my perception of chapter leadership at that time. It was also subconsciously driven by my perception of the source of leadership.
I was already a leader in my own business. It was a question of finding the additional time required to fulfil this new leadership commitment, as well as running my own business. There was also the question of what was in it for me?
I was busy, but then so was everyone else in the chapter.
The current leaders must have been very clear on the benefits leadership had brought them.
The chapter still required leadership.
In hindsight, I see that my decision to not step up to a leadership role revealed quite clearly to me where I had positioned the source of leadership.
Back then, I saw how a commitment to leadership would be a benefit to the chapter, while at the same time, I was unclear whether it would be anything other than a cost to me.
I questioned if I would need to grow into that leadership role, before I could commit to one.
I saw members already capable and seemingly desirous of leadership roles, so there was no urgent need for me to step up; there was already plenty of resource available.
I now acknowledge these excuses for what they were. I acknowledge that they served only to hold me back.
By not stepping up, I could not create a reference. I could not test my capability; I could not grow in that area.
Sometime afterwards, I was asked directly if I would step up to the position of Chapter Director and lead the chapter. I again found myself challenged by the contribution of leadership.
I said yes to the challenge.
Our position on the source of leadership will determine whether we rise to demonstrate leadership, or defer to others.
When first offered the opportunity to serve the chapter as a leader, I looked externally for the source of leadership, rather than looking within. My years of familiarity with BNI steeled my confidence that I could do the role.
I began attending seminars and workshops. I had grown within. I knew that leadership was not a role, but a mentality.
Growing should force you to develop your vision.
We all need vision. This is the act of standing in the present, yet seeing your future self complete in the position you intend, in full dimensions and ultra-high definition. It should fill you with real feelings; the same as if you are experiencing it physically now.
See yourself as the person capable of doing great things right now, in the present and you will become acutely focused on the skills, knowledge and attitude you need to work on to get there.
An inability to see yourself doing these great acts will limit your performance to that which you currently see yourself capable of. You simply cannot ask you mind to deliver what it cannot visualise. You become stuck mentally, which translates to becoming stuck economically and emotionally.
Become childlike in using your imagination. Children can imagine without limits. A cardboard box becomes a space ship. A stuffed toy can talk, walk and eat.
I needed to see a vision of myself benefiting from leadership, in order to step up to a leadership role.
The leader of a BNI chapter was known internationally as President, but in the UK at that time, it was referred to as Chapter Director. The UK now uses the title of President.
As Chapter Director, I had several responsibilities including chairing the chapter’s weekly breakfast business meeting. This business meeting is designed to generate business for the chapter members.
Chairing a meeting of business leaders requires energy, focus, presence, command and influence just to start.
The Chapter Director/President is the most visible person in the room. Standing and steering the activities means being comfortable presenting.
During each meeting, there is a contribution section, where members actively present evidence of their efforts to help their fellow chapter members during the previous week. Every member must present during this section.
The Chapter Director usually makes the first contribution.
Tracking back to my earlier point, Leadership forces you to improve yourself.
As chapter Director, I intended my performance as a member should inspire everyone.
I would endeavour to contribute more. Greater contribution is not possible without some level of personal improvement. BNI provided leadership training to develop leaders to perform.
My position on the source of leadership required me to demonstrate a direct relationship between what I did, and what others observing my contributions would be prepared to do.
Unless I could help the members to see a bigger vision of their efforts, there could be no real growth.
I only had a 12 month term, so I decided to demonstrate a personal commitment to the chapter to be there every week. BNI chapters meet on average, 50 weeks each year. This is no small commitment. This meant no holidays spanning across weeks, saying no, to activities which would place me elsewhere at the meeting time, including business opportunities. This required another level of self-improvement, which I was being prepared for all along without even realising it. I will say more on this at another time.
I lead 50 meetings out of 50, but this feat did not inspire every member.
The most significant area of personal growth which my tenure of leadership forced me to confront was some members would not respond, no matter how much I lead, demonstrated or committed.
Leadership is not about people following you. It cannot be measured simply by followers, or popularity polls.
People will not always follow your example, nor be inspired by your actions, no matter how many mountains you move. When leading, it is essential to stay your course, unless the results tell you otherwise.
Leaders should not obsess over knowing all the answers. You never will know all the answers.
You will struggle if you try to come up with all solutions by yourself.
Leadership is a learning experience. The ultimate leadership manual should say in rule number 1, “Be prepared to feel unprepared.”
Be ready to take tough decisions; sometimes, very unpopular decisions.
Leadership is not an opportunity to test your assumptions about decisions made by other leaders you have observed and perhaps, been led by. I held this belief before stepping up to chapter leadership, and encourage any new leader to develop resistance toward comparison of your leadership tenure, with other those of other leaders.
Leaders play to their strengths while all the time improving their weaknesses. This alone, makes comparison very difficult, if not impossible, but ultimately of no benefit given the different challenges you need to lead through.
This was not my first tenure of leadership, but I learned a lot during that year. I learned more about myself than about anything else.
The reality, for me, was agreeing to be a BNI Chapter Director proved to be a valuable life lesson in Self-Improvement. I recommend you take any leadership opportunity presented to you and position it as a challenge which will support your growth into a greater version of yourself.
Leadership forces you to improve yourself.
The earlier consideration was whether we are all able to grow into leadership, or, if leadership is an exclusive innate quality.
For me, leadership is a quality which can be studied, copied and applied. It can be analysed and taught. BNI continually invests in leadership training and it is the world’s largest network of its kind.
I attended an initial leadership training event, and throughout the year, quarterly leadership training events where I could top up my knowledge, and share experiences with other leadership team members within BNI. I also attended many other learning events to keep me moving forward.
This learning proved beneficial. I met a number of leaders who grew over their term of leadership. The experience they gained mirrored my own.
For many, the greatest fear is public speaking. The charge of BNI President/Chapter Director would immediately force them to change, in order to lead the meeting.
Leadership is necessary for anyone seriously seeking self-improvement, because it is necessary to first lead yourself. After all, how can we lead others, if we cannot master our own direction?
Patrick Nairne
