December 30, 2024
Lead From Any Chair And Be Your Own Boss
Reading is a passion of mine and one of my favorite books is Ben and Rosamund Zander’s The Art of Possibility. I love the concept of possibility thinking and how our attitudes can make a substantial difference in how we live and lead.
One chapter in The Art of Possibility is focused on how everyone has the ability to be a leader, regardless of their role, title, or position. Ben Zander is a world-famous conductor who is well-versed in how to lead an orchestra, but he is not the only leader. In a symphony orchestra, the violinist in the first chair is the second in command.
When the conductor is not present, the first chair will lead the rest of the musicians.
In The Art of Possibility, the author promotes the ideology that you don’t have to be the top violinist to be a leader; you can lead from any chair. I believe the same. We can lead regardless of where we are, what we do, or what our job is.
You can be your own boss and get to be your life’s chief executive.
We have the power to direct and manage our future. Doesn’t that sound great?
You get to be a badass boss.
In order to become a leader, you have to be willing to lead yourself, and that requires setting expectations, commitment, responsibility, and accountability even if no one is watching…especially when no one is watching.
As a leader, you set the tone in the workplace and your expectations for the team. The same applies when acting as your own boss. Be clear on your goals and what success looks like when you achieve them.
One of the best ways to get started is to set SMART goals. SMART goals are Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, and Timebound. By having a way to measure your success and a time frame for each goal, it’s easy to monitor your progress and stay on track to achieve it.
Setting SMART goals helps you stay accountable to yourself, just as you would set goals and timelines for your team members.
The key is planning and setting personal goals, then monitoring your performance and outcomes.
Self-management is the accountability of being a leader. In the same way you would hold your team accountable for their performance, you must hold yourself accountable, too.
But holding yourself as the responsible party can be hard.
It can be challenging to look in the mirror and honestly assess how well you met your expectations or take the full blame for your present status, outcomes, and life.
It is so much easier to avoid accountability when someone else is at fault, like a boss.
But wait. You want to be your own boss. And a badass one to boot.
So be sure to embrace accountability and setting your own expectations, and lead yourself well.
In the past year, I have had the opportunity to be my own professional boss. I founded a limited liability company and named myself its chief executive officer. Figuring out how to run a business, develop a social media presence, and hold myself accountable for my services and products has been an enormous learning curve. And full of challenges and growth.
It is fun to be the boss, but it is also a bit scary.
I have had to be willing to accept the responsibility for how the company does and accept the accountability for success or potential failure.
Everything is all up to me.
There’s no one else to hide behind or to blame.
Everything is my choice, just like it is your choice. When you lead your own life from any chair, committing to your personal growth and success is vital. Start to commit to your goals and commit to yourself.
Leadership is not a title; it is a way of coming to the world with a vision for the future and a desire for what is possible.
Becoming a leader means inspiring others to follow you and help make that vision a reality.
You can become a leader no matter where you are in life.
You have the option to dream big and boldly and create a vision for your future. To follow through on your commitments to yourself and make your dreams a reality.
That is leading.
Make the decision to be your own boss this year. Become the chief executive of your life. Design your vision and goals for your badass future, set expectations, and then achieve those goals.
Make this the year you fully commit to yourself, your development, and your personal growth.
Embrace responsibility for your actions and performance, and accountability for your activities and outcomes.
Accept all that you are and everything you bring to the world…even the parts of you that struggle to love. Like your imperfections, shadow tendencies, and unique quirks.
They all make you who you are.
If you stay accountable and honest with yourself, you can continue to grow as a leader and as a person.
I have been reflecting on my last year as my own boss, and I have done well in some areas and less in others.
Being honest with myself is not always fun, but I must accept where I may have struggled or slipped in my expectations for myself and create a plan for self-correction to get back on track.
By being my own leader, I also get to pat myself on the back for what I have accomplished, and that has been extremely fulfilling and rewarding. That’s the fun part of being the leader, even if the only person I am leading is myself.
Sieze the possibility of leading from any chair and becoming your own boss.
It will be worth it.
Light and Love,
Jackie
What are your thoughts on leading from any chair and being your own boss? We’d love to hear your insights! Leave a comment below and explore more resources through our site at www.deleaninstitute.com.
