Some Thoughts on Leadership

At the end of 2018 I wrapped up over 20 years of employment with the same company. Downsizing. I still support their reduced operations, but in a part-time capacity. I don’t mind saying I’ve been at loose ends for the past several weeks. The nagging questions in my mind – what will I do now? How will I pay the bills? Where do I want to work? Who will hire me? DO I want to work?
This rather shocking transition has been experienced by far too many in our community. It can be a challenging thing to work through. Shifting away from the spiral of worrisome questions and taking the opportunity to do a bit of soul-searching is the direction I chose to go. Who am I outside of my corporate role? What is my purpose? What brings me joy and fulfillment? What are my strengths, my unique gifts that I can share with my community? What am I passionate about?
Don’t get me wrong, for the most part I very much enjoyed my corporate role. But now that it’s not part of my daily routine, what did I enjoy most about it? What will I miss? What was the value that I contributed?
I’ve discovered that it comes down to Leadership. I’ve been in a leadership role for years. In that time, I have had the opportunity to support and witness amazing people find their confidence and truly come into their own. This is what I find most satisfying.  To cultivate an environment and hold space for individuals as they find confidence in their skills, discover their unique strengths and embrace their own personal leadership. And that is one of my strengths. Being able to see the potential before they see it for themselves, and helping steer them in a direction where that potential can be realized. That has been truly rewarding.
I've chosen a picture of my horse Buddy to represent leadership. I lost him in 2015, but he is still with me in spirit. I learned a lot about leadership from him. He was my lead gelding. He led his herd with compassion, and loyalty. And had a great sense of humor as well. He wasn't the largest of my horses, or the pushiest. He wasn't the most visible and wasn't at all demanding. But he took his role seriously, he knew his strengths, and he knew when to let others take the lead. He was confident in his role, but he also knew that everyone else's role was important.
Leadership looks different for every individual. What does it look like for you? What are your strengths? And how can you embrace your personal leadership?