What it means to be a leader...

Leadership does not always mean standing up. It is knowing when to stand on the stool and deliver an elaborate, but extemporaneous speech, but also knowing the appropriate time to lie down and let the situation unfold. Think for a second. If you were to stand up in quicksand and exude as much confidence as you would in front of an auditorium full of people waiting to listen to you...you would still be in quicksand. And sinking in that quicksand, to add. But if you let yourself adapt to the circumstances, you would quickly realize that lying down would be your best bet to overcoming the rapidly moving grains surrounding you.

A leader sometimes has to stand in front to clear the path, but other times must step aside to reveal the destination. It is easy to assume that you always have to be the strong one, the protector. However, wielding the tools is not a prerogative of the leader alone. Those who follow are talented and apt in their own right, and may possibly require a little push now and then, but are able to walk forward in their own capacity. Thus, learn to be in the forefront and learn to step back. A leader should be loud sometimes and quiet other times. Aggressive and passive. Here and there.