What Do We Really Mean When We Say "Leader"?

Many of us lead more often than we realize.

Leadership is one of those interesting words as it means different things to different people. It makes me wonder if we all really know what is meant when we hear the word leader.

On the face of it, leaders are people who lead and manage teams or run businesses. However, it is more complex than that. There are many people who are leaders, but who don't necessarily identify as being leaders at work. We don't need to be managing large teams to be a leader.

Anyone who makes decisions in their business or role, prioritizes direction and links this to their organization's mission and purpose is, to my mind, a leader. This is true whether you're leading a team of ten or are a solo founder leading the direction of your own business.

I also think leadership starts with self-leadership. In fact, I would argue that self-leadership is the foundation of being a dedicated, successful professional.

Being able to manage yourself, self-regulate, understand the importance of feedback and create time for regular reflection are all components of good self-leadership.

For me, every form of leadership must start with self-leadership and that feeds into what we really mean when we say the word leader.