Apr 1, 2013THE SYNERGIST | Les McKeown

Topics > Leadership and Managing >

3 Biggest Excuses of Wanna-BeLeadersIt's time to stop making a excuses. If you want to be a leader, there's nothingholding you back.

shutterstock images

This is a familiar dynamic: After facilitating a coaching or training session,

or after speaking at a conference, two groups of people form around the

speaker in concentric circles. The first, inner group are leaders who want to

know more. The second, outer group, hanging back a little meekly are the

wanna-be leaders.

The conversations I have with both groups are always fascinating. It's why

I do what I do, after all. But interestingly, it's the conversations with the

second group, the not-yet leaders, that most often follow the same pattern.

You'd think that people who want to be leaders (but aren't yet), would each

be in that position for highly individual and therefore unpredictable

reasons. But mostly I hear people share the same three reasons over and

over again, as to why they haven't yet started leading:

1. I'm not in a leadership position. The most common reason wanna-

be leaders give for not actually being a leader, is that they're not yet in a

leadership position, which is usually defined (in their mind, at least) as

having a team to lead, people to delegate to, or at least having some

seniority in their organization.

Here's the thing: Leaders aren't created upon arrival in a position. Leaders are

recognized as such, and then placed in positions of leadership.

If you're truly intent on being a leader, then that's precisely what you need to do: Lead.

Now. From where you are. And if you can't take the CEO position and lead the

organization--even if you can't even take a managerial position and lead the accounts

payable department--there are a hundred other ways you can lead.

Find ways to do what you do, better. Step in when others are uncertain. Be generous

Special Report

8 Best Industries forStarting a Business

Time to stop dreaming and start

up. Take a look Inc.'s special report

on the industries where new

businesses are thriving.

Most Viewed

Top 10 Motivational Books of All Time

Become a Master Networker: 5 Quick Tips

3 Words That Create Instant Credibility

Be Happier: 10 Things to Stop Doing Right Now

12 Great Motivational Quotes for 2013

Tony Hsieh: 'I Fire Those Who Don't Fit Our

Company Culture'

10 Things Really Amazing Employees Do

10 Things Extraordinary People Say Every Day

Tony Hsieh: 'Hiring Mistakes Cost Zappos.com $100

Million'

8 Promises You Should Make Every Day

Before You Launch Your Business Idea

17 Ways to Be Happier at Work

6 Habits of Remarkably Likable People

4 Unique Working Styles: What's Yours?

How to Have a Meaningful Conversation

How to Write a Convincing E-mail

FOLLOW INC. ON: Login or signup

Search Inc.com

ADVERTISEMENT

TweetTweet

346

21

91

ShareShare

262

Like

Send

Read more

12 Great Motivational Quotes for 2013

6 Habits of Remarkably Likable People

3 Words That Create Instant Credibility

Top 10 Motivational Books of All Time

10 Things Really Amazing Employees Do

From The Web Sponsored content by

If You Have Gmail... You Must Have

This

15 Tips for Talking to Women And

Attracting Them Like Crazy

The Benefits of Using a CMS for your

Training Management

Interaction design is not respected as a

design discipline

and unsparing with your ideas, (thought-through) opinions and time. Take risks. Be

creative and flexible. Above all, add value. And do it now, from where you are.

2. I need someone's permission. This excuse comes in many varieties. Sometimes

it's professional ("I don't have the letters after my name that my peer group have, so

they won't respect my leadership"); sometimes it's organizational ("My boss / my job

description / my daily activities aren't explicit about me being a leader, so I'll look

presumptuous if I start"), and sometimes it's personal ("I'm only [some age] / I've

never [accomplished some goal] / I didn't [go to some school / get some degree]").

Look, to get started as a leader, the only person you need permission from is you.

Yes, after you've begun to lead, you will need other people's permission, in the form of

them accepting your leadership. And maybe you'll suck at it and your leadership career

will be short-lived. But you'll never know until you start, and the only person who can

fire the starting gun on your leadership is...you.

3. I have this role model... / I can't find a role model... One of the most

debilitating barriers to starting to lead is also one that's filled with irony--the chicken-

in-a-headlight paralysis that can arise from either having a leadership role model who

is frighteningly intimidating--or from having no role model at all.

As with the other excuses above (yes, I've used them both in the past, many times), I

know whereof I speak: My first professional mentor happened to be one of the most

brilliant members of my (then) profession of his generation. And if I'd waited to come

out of his shadow, I'd still be a rookie CPA making coffee for my colleagues.

Then 30 years ago when I decided to leave the accounting profession to become a

serial entrepreneur, I experienced what it's like to strike out into an occupation bereft

of role models (this was long before the rise of the start-up zeitgeist, and serial

entrepreneurs in the UK--where I then lived--were few and far between). The only

way to get started was...to get started.

So if you're serious about starting your leadership career, there's one thing that you

need to decide, today: Be your own role model.

Les McKeown is the author of the bestseller "Predictable Success: Getting Y our

Organization on the Growth Track--and Keeping It There" and is the CEO of

Predictable Success, a leading adviser on accelerated organizational growth. His

latest book is "The Synergist: How to Lead Y our Team to Predictable

Success." @lesmckeown

Starting a Company? 8 Free Online Courses You

Can't Miss

Life is Good Founder Bert Jacobs: 'We Wanted

Control of Our Baby'

Freshii Founder's 5-Point Leadership Manifesto

Top 10 "How to Sell" Books of All Time

Select Services

Smarty Pants

Maryland #1 in Innovation & Entrepreneurship

FREE Screen Sharing

Lightening speed online meetings at join.me. No client dow nload.

Inc. Online Course

Business Brilliant - use "INCPROMO" for $5 off

New Data on Success

New book BUSINESS BRILLIANT by Inc.com blogger Lew is Schiff

Box is strong positive

Box rated highest by Gartner. Get free report.

Old Dominion

No matter w hat you ship, your business is our business. Visit

odpromises.com.

Servers up to 45% off

Technology optimized for today, but scalable for grow ing business needs.

Constant Contact

Over 500,000 Small Businesses Use Constant Contact. Safe, Simple.

Deluxe

From w ebsites to printing to marketing, our expertise at your command.

Trade up to touch

Trade in your PC for new touch-screen computer, get up to $400

FACEBOOK

FROM OUR PARTNERS

ADVERTISEMENT

Branson Up Close Coolest College Start-Ups World's Coolest Offices Founders Forum How I Did It

HOME MAGAZINE CONTACT US ABOUT US ADVERTISE EVENTS LEGAL DISCLAIMERS PRIVACY POLICIES SUBSCRIBE BUSINESS OWNERS COUNCILCopyright 2013

Mansueto Ventures LLC. All rights reserved.

More On Inc.com

An intimate talk with the mostadmired entrepreneur of ourtime.Read more

Today on Inc.com

8 Best Industries for

Starting a Business

Attract a Huge

Crowd With

LinkedIn

What Your

Employees Do

When You Think

They're Working

Give Your Website

a Boost: 3 Tools

7 Signs You're Not

Self-Aware Enough

to Be a Great

Leader