No, I am not a leader, I just enable others to do stuff – Sofie Sandell’s blog

A while ago I was at a social event and started to talk to a friend about leadership and what it is. It was quite late and we discussed what happened when she started to helm the boat where she works. Then she says: “But, I am not a leader…, I am just the catalyst helping other people to perform better, I don’t actually do anything”
Hm, a great leader is sitting next to me saying that the effect she has on people is not leadership and that she is not a leader. We continued our discussion for a while, and one point I made about what a leader does was:
“A leader is someone who is strengthening others and making the people they meet believe in themselves”.
Sometimes when things are getting very complicated and messy a bit of hope is what will save us from sinking the boat. So, being the catalyst releasing the potential in others is a pretty crucial ability.
I hope my friend gets used to put the description ‘leader’ in front of her name, because that is what she is. It might take a while for her to dare to say it, but I am sure when she looks back in a few years time she will call what she did leadership.
Sunny greetings to all of you!

No, I am not a leader, I just enable others to do stuff – Sofie Sandell’s blog

A Personal Interview with a Great Leader

The people in my professional network are awesome. Occasionally one of them is gracious enough to let me grill them on the subject of leadership. John Petrucci is one of those guys. He’s one of the most down-to-earth people you’ll ever meet and that’s part of what makes him an exemplary leader. You can read all about his accomplishments at the end of the post. Here’s my conversation with John about leadership. All of us can learn a thing or five from him!

10 Secrets of Successful Leaders | Entrepreneur.com

Eleanor Roosevelt once said, “A good leader inspires people to have confidence in the leader, a great leader inspires people to have confidence in themselves.” But, becoming a great leader isn’t easy. Successfully maneuvering a team through the ups and downs of starting a new business can be one of the greatest challenges a small-business owner faces.

Leadership is one of the areas that many entrepreneurs tend to overlook, according leadership coach John C. Maxwell, whose books include The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership (Thomas Nelson, 1998) and Developing the Leader Within You (Thomas Nelson, 1993).

“You work hard to develop your product or service. You fight to solve your financial issues. You go out and promote your business and sell your product. But you don’t think enough about leading your own people and finding the best staff,” Maxwell says.

It turns out, the skills and talents necessary to guide your team in the right direction can be simple, and anyone with the determination can develop them. Here’s a list of 10 tips drawn from the secrets of successful leaders.

10 Secrets of Successful Leaders | Entrepreneur.com