The line between what’s real and what’s imaginary can be a fine line. Real leaders exist. You’ve worked for them. You might be one. You may even consider yourself one of the best. Just as real is the fact that many people call themselves leaders who don’t actually care about leading. They plan. They manage. They count. They inspect. They do a lot of important work, but they do not lead.
True leaders display courage through their vulnerability. They see potential in people and processes and take accountability to ensure that potential is achieved. Leaders care (an awful lot.)
Skills such as empathy, vulnerability and courage are skills that real leaders possess and they are skills that can be learned. We love to teach and coach leaders who want to lead in a way that people will want to follow them.