Leadership Knows No Boundaries: Embracing Your Unique Path
Hi there, my name is Allie Grosik, and I am proud to serve as a board member for Leaders of Today Central Ohio. I have earned degrees in psychology and counseling, and I have a great passion for building relationships with others, hearing their stories, and continuously learning about the human psyche. We are all so unique, yet I firmly believe we have the same capacity to serve others through leadership.
Leadership. It’s a word that may bring certain images to one’s mind. I picture the well-known painting, George Washington Crossing the Delaware, in which the first president is depicted standing in a powerful position; one foot is placed on the side of the boat, and Washington gazes out over rough water as his men follow his direction on a cold Christmas day. I think of words like dominant, assertive, confident, and ambitious. However, I must constantly challenge the belief that a leader looks and acts a certain type of way. The fact of the matter is, every one of us has the power to serve as a positive influence and guide.
When we turn to trusty Webster, we read that leadership is “the action of leading a group of people or an organization; it is a process of social influence, which maximizes the efforts of others, towards the achievement of a goal.” There is no mention of having any certain personality traits, attributes, or titles. It is also clear that leadership involves the opinions of others and is not simply appointed authority or power; the head or manager of a group is not the only person with the ability to be impactful.
One can serve as a leader at any age or in any situation, and there is an opportunity every day to step up and be a positive influence to others. However, before we can hope to lead those around us, we must first better get to know ourselves. Everyone has different strengths, and, instead of trying to change ourselves to fit into the stereotypical view of leadership, we should take advantage of our individual personalities and skills.
Our Leaders of Today board is made up of people who are talented in a variety of ways, and that is what makes our organization successful. We have a mix of visionary and strategic thinkers, introverts and extroverts, people who love to speak and others who prefer to write, creatives, and those who are more analytical. Despite being vastly different from the next, each person on our board has taken a leadership role in their area of expertise. A large aspect of being an effective leader is trust and collaboration, and my fellow board members and I acknowledge our own weaknesses and have faith that others are, in fact, capable. If any one of us attempted to take charge of every aspect of the organization, we would not be able to accomplish nearly as much as we have been able to over the past few years, and there would be far less innovation and critical thinking.
If you are unsure of how you can be a leader in your life, I would encourage you to take time to reflect and learn more about yourself. If you have not already, it can be helpful for all to take the personality assessment on 16personalities.com; after answering a series of questions, you will be provided with your Myers-Briggs personality type. The website will break down strengths and weaknesses, how you may act in relationships, careers that may be an appropriate fit, and more. Remember: we must first know ourselves if we want to best serve others, and every one of us is capable of leadership, no matter our skills or personality type. YOU are a leader of today!
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