Leadership is Not an Act of Convenience

Leadership is not an act of convenience. It is ancould have then knowledge at the ready or the
application of skills backed by a willingness to takebest possible person to tackle the crisis at their
action. Leaders are constantly aware that at anyfingertips.
time they may be called up to stretchThey are ready to be inconvenienced because in
themselves to a new limit before anyone else will.the grand scheme of things, they realize that life
This act of stretching is not just limited toand situations are not neatly packaged and
Leaders; it's just that Leaders accept it. And theyhandled with ready made answers. Although it
realize that this is almost always not adoes happen, sometimes, well somewhat
convenience for themselves or those they lead.infrequently.....or maybe not very many times at
This acceptance of being inconvenienced is one ofall....you get the picture.
the major differences between those who wouldThis decision making process may include
Lead and those who do not. It seems that wheninformation gathering, investigation and
any group needs their Leader it most likely is theconsultation. It may also include a preliminary
most inconvenient time for everyone involved.course of action and a backup course of action.
During periods of crisis effective Leaders knowAll of these tools are available to the Leader to
how to minimize chaos and confusion, institutehelp decide what to do next. None of it will have
planned "emergency responses" and generallymore effect than the willingness to take action.
minimize the effects of the crisis because theyThis thought that Leaders have, this thought that
have planned to be inconvenienced at some point.we must move forward in the face of fear,
They planned for their company to beoverwhelming odds, reluctance, disbelief and the
inconvenienced and even inconveniencedfeeling of impending doom, is why Leaders are
themselves in the process of getting ready forLeaders.
these events.Nothing can replace the man or woman who is
It may not have been convenient to take thewilling to take action because 100% of everything
extra seminar night course or spent extra hoursthat never gets done is the result of never doing
interviewing additional candidates just so theyanything.