Leading....................

 

     Leadership isn't a burden—it is an opportunity and obligation.  It affords us power and influence and, as much as is possible, control.  It gives us what we all want most—freedom.  We gain freedom to make decisions, and to determine in every way possible the outcomes of our lives.  Leadership prevents us from being victims.  It's how we mitigate the risks caused by external forces and pressures.  It's how we avoid lying face down in the dirt waiting to die. It's how we win.

     On that day in Iraq, I was lucky.  But relying on luck or hoping circumstances will change on their own is not a good business plan, not a solid approach to leading a team.  And it's definitely not a good way to build a marriage or raise a family.  Your luck will run out at some point, and you will end up a victim to your situation.  The check engine light in your car won't go off on its own—you have to do something to fix it.  The same is true everywhere.  You need a strategy, some plan of action, when the external threats arise.  You need to be leading through each aspect of life,

     So, lead in every situation, under every circumstance, no matter how mild or severe or routine a problem appears.  Don't wait, don't sit back, don't assume you have no course of action and become a victim of the world around you.  Lead.

-Dave Berke, The Need to Lead: A TOPGUN Instructor's Lessons on How Leadership Solves Every Challenge