 |
Have you ever seen someone choose not to lead? Perhaps it was a capable coworker who passed up an opportunity to guide a team project, or a great volunteer who, when asked to lead, said they will gladly help but not lead. In a recent college class, 100 percent of the students indicated they aspired to a leadership role in their career, but none were willing to step up to lead a class exercise or team project. I find the hardest part of teaching leadership is overcoming the reluctance to try.
So why are so many capable people reluctant to lead?
Reluctance is not necessarily a bad thing. Author Orrin Woodward said, “Sometimes the greatest leaders are the reluctant ones because they realize that no one else seems willing to step up. They may not crave leadership, but they’re willing to do what must be done to get the work accomplished.”
Moses, George Washington, President Harry Truman and Murphy Mayor Tim Radford were all individuals who, despite their initial reluctance, rose to the occasion and proved themselves to be capable leaders.
All reluctant behavior is not the same. Some people may not have considered leading before but, when given some encouragement, often take the opportunity and thrive. Others need a more compelling reason to take on a leadership role. They are often capable but have doubts and fears that keep them from stepping up to what they see as an overwhelming responsibility. And others simply want no part of leading, preferring instead to be followers and make their individual contributions.
Research on the underlying reasons people avoid leadership found that “imagined” fears or outcomes are what keeps people locked in their comfort zones. I call these imagined fears the “what ifs.”
- What if people think I am better than them?
- What if others don’t like me?
- What if we fail and I am blamed?
- What if people won’t follow my lead?
- What if I don’t know what to do and make mistakes?
- What if I ruin my relationships with those I lead?
- What if others see me as too pushy, bossy or a know-it-all?
We all have “comfort zones” within which we feel safe, comfortable and confident. When asked to step outside our comfort zone and try something different, our “what ifs” kick in and act like an emergency brake to keep us safe.
And then, once we choose not to act, we justify our decision to ourselves. We tell ourselves: someone else will do it, I’m not prepared, I’m not paid to take this on, it’s not my responsibility or I’m too busy. And justifying our decision not to act makes it harder to act the next time an opportunity arises. Our imagined fears get stronger. Moving beyond your comfort zone is a brave choice to act despite your reluctance.
So, the next time circumstances in your church, community or workplace invite you to take on a leading role, stop and ask yourself what’s holding me back? What are the “what ifs” keeping me on the sidelines? Are they realistic? And consider “what if” others do follow you, admire your courage, and you succeed in helping them achieve something worthwhile? How would success at leading, however small the project, make you feel, allow you to grow or open new opportunities? And you will find, as other leaders before you have found, that stepping out of your comfort zone is never as scary as it seems.
Michael Donovan is a contributing writer for the Cherokee Scout and Adjunct Professor at Young Harris College. His book Leading – Helping Others Achieve Results is available on Amazon. For comments and feedback, contact him at 727-460-8759 or pdsdoc1@aol.com.