Everyday Leadership

http://www.ted.com/talks/drew_dudley_everyday_leadership – 6 minute Ted Talk from Drew Dudley

Most people view leadership as a distant planet, something that is beyond this world. Only a small percentage of people are willing to call themselves leaders. Some people view others who call themselves leaders as arrogant or cocky, and in some cases that are true. Leadership can be about doing something big and something great, but it can also be about doing good day-to-day.

Many students at Purdue are leaders in their own right. However, only 12 people stood up in class trying to be a leader. There are many misconceptions about what being a leader entails, and although I want to see confident leaders, I do not want to see overconfident leaders. To be a leader, first a person needs to want to be a leader. However, that does not instantly qualify them. There are people who think they are leaders, and they may be in their own life, but they lack the interpersonal skills, determination, and smarts to hold on to their position. I may argue that a true leader isn’t overconfident in their own abilities.

Drew Dudley says that everyone can be a leader. You don’t need a great resume to be a leader and as long as you can think in difficult times and have a bit of interpersonal skills, you can be an everyday leader. In my life, I step up to be a leader when needed and to help solve the problems of the environment in which I live. However, the leaders who are overconfident in their own abilities often overlook these smaller everyday issues thinking that it is beneath them. Like most things in life, you have to start at the bottom and work your way up to being a great leader. Pick up trash when you see it, say hi to people you know when you see them, help your friends get girlfriends or boyfriends, and lastly, help those around you in any way. Take charge of your environment. The first step is talking to them and discovering what is important and what is needed.