Great leaders resemble a choir director more than a soloist.
We often look up to talented people. People who have a gift and can do something significant with it. These people are valuable and their gifts should be appreciated and put to good use. But leadership is not really about doing great things, it is about facilitating great things. Great soloists have an important place, but they are not the leaders among us.
Leaders are the people who can recognize talent in others and then inspire them to engage that talent with a team toward a worthwhile purpose. This means being trustworthy enough and influential enough that people will work with you and follow you. Then it means figuring out where people fit and how they can fit together. When a team of people are assembled appropriately and put forth their gifts in a unified effort, the beautiful music that leadership can provide is created.
We often look up to talented people. People who have a gift and can do something significant with it. These people are valuable and their gifts should be appreciated and put to good use. But leadership is not really about doing great things, it is about facilitating great things. Great soloists have an important place, but they are not the leaders among us.
Leaders are the people who can recognize talent in others and then inspire them to engage that talent with a team toward a worthwhile purpose. This means being trustworthy enough and influential enough that people will work with you and follow you. Then it means figuring out where people fit and how they can fit together. When a team of people are assembled appropriately and put forth their gifts in a unified effort, the beautiful music that leadership can provide is created.
