Stop Following: Stand Out & Start Leading
You don’t have to sell out who you are just to assimilate in a job or organization. We don’t need more followers in our society, we need leaders. Time and time again, we look to recruit, market, and showcase the same mediocre prototypes to be leaders in politics, education, business, etc. Sure, they look good in a suite, speak well, but they typically don’t produce, can’t relate and are simply out of touch. The Barack Obama election has further justified a monolithic view of what a leader is supposed to look & act like, especially within the African American community. As a result, you see young men & women alike who sell out who they really are in order to fit the prototype. That’s not real leadership.
There are numerous young people who have the ability to lead and want to make a difference but they often feel like they don’t have a voice, let alone a seat at the table. They are often dismissed because they don’t have the right “fit”. As long as we continue to dismiss those who talk, look, and act differently than what is considered to be mainstream & safe, new upcoming leaders will continue to be out of touch. Let’s begin to encourage those who have ORIGINAL value to offer instead of a stiff puppet who has a title but is not a true leader. You can be unique, original, & influential while fitting within the culture of a corporate entity or an organization.
REMEMBER: Perception is reality. Being known as an individual who provides little to no value will make you highly replaceable. When you are authentic who can produce real solutions to problems, you will always be an asset.
Are you fitting a prototype? Are you an asset or a replaceable liability?
