I’ve been obsessing lately on the slippery concept of leadership. What do we actually mean by the term? Is the “leadership” used in politics and the military the same as in the arts and the non-profit world? What about “thought leaders”? Is leadership an inherent trait or something that can be learned? What does leadership experience look like in musicians?
Although I admit to having taught a summer class on Leadership as part of the Arts Administration program at BU, I don’t believe the course itself promoted leadership: thinking about leadership is not doing it. What I’m struck by is the wide range of writing, blather, and jargon that surrounds the idea of leadership, without much of it being concrete or helpful in developing leaders.
The leadership aspect I’m most curious about—because it’s the quality I always look for in folks I work with—is the willingness to take initiative, the needed confidence to take action and follow through. I look for signs of these qualities when talking with people about their dreams and goals—are they actually ready to do the work to get their project off the ground, to take their career to the next level? My job is to help—but the raw material needs to be there!
For this week: What was YOUR earliest leadership experience—and how did it change you?
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Dream big, Plan smart, Live well!
