Reflecting over this past year, and looking ahead to the new opportunities and challenges before us, I couldn’t help but share some of the impressions upon my heart.

Primarily the call, need, and desire for “leadership”.

And this doesn’t mean “bosses”. Bosses may have employees, but that in no way makes them a leader. 

For leaders can have absolutely no direct reports, because leaders quite simply influence. They influence others, and ultimately help “bring out the best” in others. 

As an example, it’s been proven time and again that if you have a room full of “bosses”, they will clammer to “compete” for more power. But – if you have a room full of leaders, they will work to “collaborate”, which ultimately helps bring out the best in each other. 

We see this in sports all the time. The best teams help bring out the best in their teammates, and they are not always the boss. Rather, the best of them serve in a much more powerful capacity as leaders (influencers & mentors), and this brings out the best in their team. 

We have some awesome leaders – which means we have some awesome influencers, but sadly they seem in short supply.

However, we can all be the leaders we hope for. For we can all get better at laying down insecurities, egos, fear, and pride. No one is perfect – that’s impossible, but we can all get better as “leaders”.

For if we don’t, like many examples have have shown, we will fail, and divide – but if we do, we will compound upon our successes and unification.

We see this dynamic being played out with the best influencers among us today – leaders who seek not to compete with each other, but to collaborate, and to bring out the best in all those around them.