Boston Bruins Patrice Bergeron jersey

Boston Bruins Patrice Bergeron jersey -

You're A Leader, Whether Or Not You're The "Boss"

by Michael D. Hume, M.S.

What makes a leader? If you think about it, the only real requirement for being a leader is to have someone follow you. Look around: you have Boston Bruins Patrice Bergeron jersey followers, whether or not you are officially labeled a "boss" of anyone.

One of my former colleagues was a member of a prominent consulting firm for his entire career. In his firm, it's always been a "meritocracy," meaning no one's supposed to have formal authority over anyone else in the firm... all ideas are heard and judged on merit. In everyday practice, it doesn't really work that way; the senior folks do make suggestions that sound like directives to the junior folks, as you'd expect. But my colleague once mused: "I'm fifty-eight years old, I went right to the firm from grad school, worked my entire career as a consultant there, and retired. Now I'm teaching leadership... and I've never actually been formally in charge of anyone. Ever."

But he was an outstanding leader. People followed him (presumably, they still do). Colleagues, clients, team members, and others continually sought this man's advice and were happy to have it.

You can be a leader without formal authority. If you want to be Boston Bruins Patrice Bergeron jersey an inspirational leader, as do most of my coaching clients, you'll find that formal authority actually sometimes gets in Boston Bruins Patrice Bergeron jersey the way of being able to inspire people as much as you'd like. (That said, don't turn down that promotion!)