What defines a leader? We all work for someone....

Like all human beings, we have been leading, or in most cases being lead since birth.  From inception, we have experienced both good and bad leadership starting as young beings, to whatever phase in life's journey we now reside.  Although I have not been in a professional position of leadership long, in my lifetime, I have experienced my share of what I will call good and bad leadership.  All have offered up life lessons, and I have learned from both good and bad.  

My career began as a young man in the USAF, where in most cases, leadership is based on taking tests and political or social networking skills.  Not to say that there was not good leadership there, we have the most advanced military in the world for a reason.  God bless this great country and all that have served!  20 years have now lapsed, and I have held everything from hourly craft positions to salary, and now a titled leadership position.  What I strive for is a simple vision.  We have all heard the phrase “Everyone deserves good leadership”.  Nice thought, but unfortunately in practice and real world scenarios it is scarce.  I believe individuals may work an entire career without experiencing what I envision as excellence in leadership.  I want to work for a leader that you want to “die in a trench” for.  Leaders that have higher expectations than that in which I hold for myself.  Leaders that mentor, guide, and motivate further than one can envision for themselves.    Leaders like this make you want to roll out of bed in the morning, and pour your heart and soul in to everything you do.  Somewhere, I hope to pick up attributes that exhibit these behaviors, and utilize these to make those in my circles time away from home more rewarding and enjoyable.  We do, after all, spend allot more time away from families, and our passions, to put food on the table, or provide opportunities for our loved ones to enjoy life’s simple pleasures.

So who am I?  I am no one special, just a guy with an idea.  The idea is simple, a place to share leadership perspective, technique, experience, and opinion, all while fostering growth based on open critique of one’s self.  A dedication to preserving principles, etiquette, and attributes of leadership at all levels.  Expressed passion, patience and desire, yielding optimum results, thus defining world class leadership. That’s a mouthful huh, but if we can get somewhere close, how great would that be?  

We all have our reasons for taking on the role of a leader, and our unwritten creeds.  Some earned, offered, or in cases of extreme circumstance.  We all have something to offer, as well as, something to gain from sharing our perspectives and experiences.  Stick in, kick in, and let’s see what we can build!