Leadership often begins before anyone agrees to follow
Leadership sometimes begins before there is support—when one person sees a better direction and has the courage to take the first step.
Sometimes leadership means being willing to stand alone for a while. When you see something that needs to change, you cannot always wait for everyone else to agree with you. Most people are more comfortable with what they already know. A leader has to be willing to move first.
A leader has to be willing to move first
Good leadership is not about being different just for the sake of being different. It is about seeing a better way and having the courage to follow it. If you believe something can be improved, your actions have to represent that change before you can expect other people to follow.
Change often begins without proof
This is one of the hardest parts of leading change. At first, there may be no support, no encouragement, and no proof that you are right. You might even wonder if you should turn around. But every new direction has to begin somewhere, and sometimes it begins with one person.
Conviction still needs humility
Effective leaders also understand that standing alone does not mean refusing to listen. You can believe strongly in your direction while still questioning yourself, learning, and adjusting when necessary. Leadership requires conviction, but it also requires humility.
Leadership begins with the first step
You do not become a leader because people are already following you. Sometimes you become a leader by taking the first step when nobody else is ready to take it.