The Reluctant Leader

 

The Reluctant Leader

I loved growing up in the 60's.  I mean we had great TV back in those days.  Some of the shows I watched were Gilligan's Island, The Andy Griffith Show, The Dick Van Dyke Show, The Monkees, The Man From U.N.C.L.E., I Dream of Jeanie, Petticoat Junction, Green Acres, The Beverly Hillbillies, Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea, Flipper, Sea Hunt, Route 66, The Fugitive, Laugh In, Candid Camera, and the list could go on and on.

Don Knotts played a lovable Barney on The Andy Griffith Show.  He was able to propel himself onto the Big Screen because of his success playing the bumbling deputy.

One of his movies released in 1967 was "The Reluctant Astronaut."  This was during the heyday of NASA and man trying to break through the gravitational force of earth to reach for the stars, eventually landing men on the moon!

In the movie Don played a regular guy who was a custodian at NASA but his family and friends thought he got hired as one of the new astronauts. It's funny how he reacts to different situations, even when he tries to tell his father the truth.

Eventually he got onto a spacecraft by accident.  It blasted off into outer space with Don as a passenger, hence the title, The Reluctant Astronaut.

I was The Reluctant Leader!

As our staff met this week we reviewed the introduction and first chapter of The Truth About Leadership by James M. Kouzes and Barry Z. Posner.

We referred to Truth#1 - You Make A Difference.

As we shared I was able to talk about my own leadership. I told them how I considered myself to be

The Reluctant Leader.

I never thought of myself as a leader.  I've always been a follower and content to do so.

I mean, if they were choosing sides for a baseball game when I was a young boy, it was okay to be picked last.  Of course, my pride wanted to let me be picked early on, but my skills probably dictated my position on the team.

But over the years I have developed into a leader, even if I am somewhat reluctant.

Empower Network

I always thought of myself as just a musician ...
... Someone who just played the piano and guitar and sang.

But somehow through dealing with people and in personal growth I have evolved into a Leader!

Maybe you are struggling with your abilities as a leader.  Maybe you are reluctant about the call that's on your life.

Maybe you don't feel qualified.  I think that's what I felt most of the time.

Leaders are like John Maxwell, Tony Robbins, and Steve Jobs.   Not like me.

So, if you are a struggling, Reluctant Leader like I was

Be encouraged that

1. You make a difference
2.  You are important

Now, go be a Leader!

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