I’ve been thinking a lot about leadership in the last few weeks, and it’s really been challenging just fully accepting what it means to be a leader.

Sometimes I get caught up with phrases that I know about leadership, that I forget about the original intention.

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One of the most challenging truths to face, is that leadership doesn’t just mean doing what is right and “leading by example”. It is right, but it’s not the entirety.

Because when you lead, it’s expected that you’re leading someone somewhere.

And doing what it takes to get them there.

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It also means going the extra mile.

I don’t think I can unpack this anymore right now, but there is also a time to lead by letting go. We’ve heard the saying, “Give a man a fish, and he won’t be hungry today. Teach a man to fish, and he’ll never go hungry again” or something to that end, and it’s important to let people make decisions themselves.

I don’t know if I’ll hold on to that opinion when I become a parent, but for now as people walking along the same path in life, I find that sometimes people really do need to learn to choose what’s right for them.

And to learn to listen.