Leadership Is Influence

Yesterday I got to spend time with three vastly different, and very influential leaders. I was fascinated by what a difference in thought they all had on what leadership is, and what a leader really is. The answers floated between people who get stuff done to people who tell others what to do. I was able to share my thoughts with them, and really enjoyed watching them process the information from their own lens of experience as well as their own desires to make an impact in the worlds that they lead.

I used John Maxwell’s definition of leadership. “Leadership is influence.” Nothing more and nothing less.

I also shared a new definition of Leader that I heard from Executive Coach Randall Stutman. “A leader is someone who makes people and situations better.”

For the past twenty years I’ve held vastly different leadership positions where I’ve handled leading ministry work in children’s environments to leading swat team training at one of the country’s largest police departments as well as owning and running a small business. What I’ve learned is that good leadership is a set of timeless principles that we can all grow in.

In the last five years, I’ve gotten very intentional about my own leadership growth. I’ve studied under John Maxwell where in addition to learning and growing a passion for both growth and leadership I became certified as an executive coach. This growth has led me to my current path, the pursuit of a Masters in Art in Organizational Leadership through the Townsend Institute, Led by Dr. John Townsend. I’m so excited for the opportunity to grow with a small team of amazing leaders that I spent some time with last week.

The purpose of this blog and website is for me to process everything I’m learning and share it with you, my friends, for both of our growth.

My life mission is to Make the World More Awesome.

I’m going to do that by: Maximizing human performance and experience by developing people, building teams, solving problems, to overcome evil with good.

And I want you to know you’re invited on this fun and amazing journey.