Why Not Lead?

Leadership can be exercised by anyone who cares enough. This truth will not be found in most of the popular literature on the topic, because prevailing concepts of leadership favor the talented, the charismatic, the hero, the person with the title. In fact, leadership is often exercised by ordinary people doing what they care about, but it frequently is unrecognized as leadership. Consequently, others who might be motivated to take positive action on behalf of a person or a cause lack clear guidance or examples to support their efforts. The human service field is rich with such examples. Sandy, who works tirelessly to design adaptive equipment for people with severe disabilities, wants to broaden her influence on the social environments in which her clients must navigate. She has developed a training event on social integration that she hopes will communicate her ideals, even though she has never considered herself a public speaker. Michael, who believes people with disabilities ought to be able to choose what they eat for dinner, has challenged the policy of the group home where he works which prescribes standard weekly menus for the residents. Jo, concerned about the safety of vulnerable people in hospital settings, not only advocates for specific individuals, but also works with hospital nurses to help them be better protectors of their patients. Each of these small acts has made a difference in the lives of the people directly affected, has worked toward a vision important to the actors, and yet will rarely be recognized as leadership. In fact, the actors themselves may not recognize their actions as leadership. As a result, these actions may stay in the realm of “random acts of kindness,” rather than the beginning of an intentional leadership career. The aim of this book is to serve as a guide and a resource for caring people as they undertake an intentional path of leadership. Its primary audience is families of people with disabilities and their allies, including people with disabilities themselves, advocates, staff, board members and others who care deeply about the lives of human service clients. It is informed by the experiences of ordinary people who assumed leadership roles because they cared about a person or a cause and decided to try to make a positive difference. Through a combination of case studies, short narratives and personal exercises, I will personally guide you into an enhanced understanding of what leadership is, assist you to strengthen your motivation, and deepen your understanding and application of core leadership attributes and practices. The content of this book reflect my decades of experience as a leader myself, as well as a student and teacher of leaders. Examples are drawn from the lives of people such as yourself. The first four chapters lay the foundation of my approach to leadership by address such topics as why lead, what is leadership, what activates leadership, and what do leaders do. I recommend that you read straight through these chapters in order to familiarize yourself with my approach. Chapter 5 answers common questions raised by people I’ve taught and coached: You many have similar questions. Feel free to read this chapter anytime. Chapters 6 through 12 explore core leadership practices in depth. You may want to read these as you run into particular challenges. Throughout the book, I have included numerous exercises for reflection and self-discovery. If you’re like me, sometimes you’ll want to stop and do the exercises right away; other times you may be more interested in continuing to read. Feel free to do whatever works. This book is meant to be a resource for you and I’m sure you know how to make best use of it.