Advice to 20+ Year Old Me – On Leadership
Advice to 20+ Year Old Me – On Leadership
In reflecting on who I was in my twenties, the opportunity for leadership skill development presented itself in many ways, sometimes without me taking full advantage of it. Click To TweetDuring college, opportunities for developing leadership skills presented themselves through sports, sorority life, and working as a resident assistant in the dorms.
Medical school did offer some opportunity for growth in this area, however, I did not take full advantage. Perhaps I could have participated in student government or played more of a role in the Student National Medical Association. Things are as they were but realizing there are many more opportunities for leadership development as they present themselves is key to maximal personal growth.
Tips For Leadership
- Be the Example You Want to Follow. Sometimes when we look around, we see things that need to change and notice that no one is moving toward that change. It may not be that you are the most qualified for the job but if you have a heart to change things, then that does not matter. Every movement starts with an idea for wanting to effect change that typically burns in the heart of one person. That person just does not shrink back and instead voices their thoughts on the issue. What happens next is magical, other individuals who feel similarly, join in on the voicing of the issue. Boom! A movement is born. The person with the initial idea just set out to be the example that they want to follow. By following through on a pain point with passion is the catalyst that sparks leadership of a movement. Now I am not saying that I regret not being the leader of a massive movement when I was in my 20s. I am saying that being aware that following your heart and pursuing passions does not carry a prerequisite of massive leadership skill.
- Don’t Be Crippled By Fear. Often it is the fear of failure that holds us back from really pushing ourselves outside of our comfort zones and allowing for the greatest growth. In my twenties, I looked at fear differently than I do now. Fear of failure held me back from putting myself out there in order to take full advantage of opportunities for growth in leadership skills. Embracing fear and doing that thing anyway makes all the difference in tapping into greatness.
- Raise Your Hand. This is one of those situations where stepping outside of your comfort zone is key. Having a mindset of “I can!” instead of being in the proverbial line and having the rest of the line take a step back leaving you the unwilling volunteer. Being proactive and raising your hand allows for many leadership development opportunities. This practice provides immense training that if started when we are young, gets very well developed by the time we are in our 40s. Click To Tweet
- Start a Business. I never entertained starting a business until well into my 30s. There are definitely times that I wish I had this mindset earlier. So much so that we encourage our cherubs to think about entrepreneurial pursuits. Starting a business or two in youth allows for valuable experience that may very lead to financial independence. The pinnacle test of leadership is indeed running your own business. So I would advise 20+ year me to consider starting a business and fail forward often.
I am curious what your thoughts are on this topic and the kind of advice you would give your 20+ year old self. These are my musings and reflections. Hopefully this blog post was helpful to you or would be helpful to someone you know. Please comment below and share this post. Your contribution and referrals are greatly appreciated.
Be strong. Be brave. Unleash your greatness!
Charmaine Gregory
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