Leadership: An Attitude

“Leadership is an attitude that you develop.”   Robert Pio Hajjar. 

Leadership is about choosing to have a meaningful impact.  Right now.  In this moment.  Making a difference.  It is doing what you can with what you’ve got. 

Not everyone chooses this attitude.  Sadly, some people let circumstances in their life defeat them, defining who they are…or sadly, who they are not.  Others use life’s gifts as stepping stones on the road to greatness.   Some write themselves off as victims in their own stories, others choose the character of hero. 

In my work in organizations, it is not uncommon to come across those who look to blame other people, the environment, or a lack of resources for their misfortune.  Finding someone or something else to blame for one’s circumstances is an example of giving away one’s power.  Sometimes I see people waiting for others to empower them, not knowing that only they can take ownership for their destiny. Power comes from within.  It is an attitude.  A way of operating in the world. 

I watched a YouTube video with motivational speaker Robert Pio Hajjar three times this morning.  What a striking example of a leader who does not take the road to victimhood.  What a model for all of us of taking the gifts life has offered and turning them in to something remarkable.  Having a vision of something great, making an impact today, using what special talents one possesses.  The traits of a true hero. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ROWbyKVLYr8

If you have fallen into the trap of looking outside yourself to explain the “pickle” you are currently in, consider the following questions:

• What is my part, or what do I own in this difficult situation?
• What needs to change in me to create a different outcome?
• What can I do today to create a positive first step toward improvment?
• How can I make a difference now?