Learning about leadership

I come across things each day where I can choose to lead or to follow. I want to always position myself as learner because thats what I am, someone on a journey figuring out things as I go along. I know myself well enough to know I can't sit in a classroom and expect things to come to me, I learn by doing and seeing. Most likely if you are close to me or I am close to you I am watching your life, learning from it and processing the way you do things.

I am reading two really good books right now, The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership and The Seven Habits of Highly effective people. I am an external processor so getting things on paper is good for me. Here are some of the quotes that I am thinking a lot about.

"Leadership is influence." I totally agree with this, if you have influence in the lives of other people than they will follow you and you will lead them.

"But that process doesn't happen overnight. Leadership is complicated. It has many facets: respect, experience, emotional strength, people skills, discipline, vision, momentum, timing- the list goes on. As you can see, many factors that come into play in leadership are intangible."

"Successful leaders are learners. And the learning process is ongoing, a result of self-discipline and perseverance. The goal each day must be to get a little better, to build on the previous day's progress."

I feel as if I am coming across something in my life that I need more of, self discipline. I am asking for those around me to help with it as well as challenging myself. Larry Bird before school everyday would do 500 freethrows. Greatness did not just come to him, he had to work for it. I hope that my life consists of many moments where I can be great. For now I hope that each day I will become more and more of who I am suppose to be, fully human made in the image of the creator.