Whenever most people think of leadership, their perception is that leadership is only for CEO and its senior management or government. The theory of it is readable but difficult to execute. So most people feel that even to be a leader is difficult (not to mention good or great).

But, leadership is something that it’s always happening around our daily life. You see it everywhere (oh ok, it’s not as frequent as news on Justin Bieber)

What triggered my thoughts is an extract from Daniel Goleman’s article (as shown below) in On Mission and Leadership: A Leader to Leader Guide

“Some years ago my wife and I were driving out of Manhattan on a wet winter afternoon. We were crawling in bumper-to-bumper traffic up the West Side Highway, when I was amazed to see a man in a wheelchair between the lanes of traffic, begging. I was so shocked and touched by his plight I automatically reached into my pocket as my car went by and dropped a $5 bill into his cup. Then out of the corner of my eye I saw a gust of wind catch the bill and drop it on the roadway. I watched a drama unfold in my rear view mirror: the man couldn’t bend down to get the money; he had no legs. To my amazement, a passenger in the car behind me got out of the back door, walked along with the car so as not to hold up the traffic, picked up the bill, put it in the cup, got back in the car, and rode away.

That person was a true leader: he recognized a human problem and stepped in to create a solution. He showed both the qualities of leadership and qualities of the heart, which I believe are largely the same. The competencies that distinguish someone as human being also distinguishes him or her as leader. People in leadership roles seldom lack credentials. Yet, we all know- and probably have worked for- individuals with obvious intelligence, ambition, and skill who were incompetent n the human arena.”

So what does it mean to you?
You need to understand that to be a leader is not something out of your reach. You can be one as well. You just need to realize it and embrace it. And once you recognize the fact that anyone has the capabilities to be a leader, your next role to lead a team or a department will be a lot easier emotionally.