Benefit Mindset Approach

Making an everyday difference

Leadership is a verb. It’s something we can choose to do at any time.

Mention the word leadership and most people think of their boss, a politician or someone in a position of authority.

Someone like a CEO, or a person at the top of a hierarchy with an important title.

In Drew Dudley’s ted talk, Everyday Leadership, he voices his concern that we are turning leadership into a concept that is bigger than us. Into a grand pursuit big important people do. But is this really the best way to think about it?

Drew Dudley encourages us to think about how we can ground the concept of leadership within ourselves. How we can use leadership to make a meaningful difference in other people’s lives. Something anyone can do at any time.

I love this message; especially given the global society we live in today.

Every moment as a leadership opportunity

“You cannot get through a single day without having an impact on the world around you. What you do makes a difference, and you have to decide what kind of difference you want to make.” — Jane Goodall

The world today is in desperate need of a new kind of leadership. A more open, distributed and self-organising kind of leadership. Cultures of everyday people who are willing to learn how they can be of value to the communities and ecosystems they belong. Cultures that are willing to contribute their whole, authentic selves to purposeful causes that matter. 

In Lead with Wisdom, Mark Storm suggests great leadership is when we wisely apply the things we’ve learned. A willingness to interweave learning and leadership. It’s something anyone can do, at any moment and it’s certainly not something reserved for people in authoritative positions.

The willingness to be kind — the willingness to think about people around you — is an everyday act of leadership. It’s a conscious choice anyone can choose to make.

When we make choices that bring out the best in others — we become everyday leaders. Someone who wisely interweaves learning and leadership to make a difference. Someone who not only focuses on their own wellbeing — but the wellbeing of their communities and local ecosystems.

Altruism research shows being an everyday leader can be very good for you. When you choose to make a difference, the first person to benefit from this virtuous act, is the person being altruistic. So being of value is a potent pathway to happiness and wellbeing.

What kind of future do you want to create?

Choosing to make a difference in other people’s lives is an act of leadership.

Imagine what would be possible if more people acted on the leadership opportunities in our everyday lives. Imagine what would be possible if we lived in and worked in cultures of everyday leadership. Imagine the kind of world everyday leadership would create.

PS:

This ties in very specifically with our "Bucket Filler" approach at WHS. Wen we do or say kind things we fill that person's bucket - and also our own.