#TipForTuesday – What is Leadership?

As I have been doing since the beginning of the year, the second Tuesday of each month is dedicated to a post regarding leadership.
Using three cards that I pick at random from the Developing the Leader Within You deck, this month’s selections are:

• Accountable – take responsibility for both actions and outcomes

• Urgency – fast-paced, swift, action-oriented

• Fitness – being physically fit, optimal well-being

I was thrilled to see the definition of urgency – especially as it relates to leadership. So often, a sense of urgency creates a hair-on-fire, OMG-gotta-get-it-done, stressful situation.  When, in fact, it should simply mean responding to something quickly and efficiently.  As a leader, we set the pace for how our teams respond, so it is on us to lessen the stress and focus on the action.
And speaking of action – fitness would not necessarily be at the top of my list of leadership traits, but it makes sense, right?  If we focus on our well-being, and bring that healthy attitude into the workplace, wouldn’t we all benefit?
And my favorite of today’s picks is accountability.  And that’s a trait that applies to all of us, whether in a leadership role or not.  Take responsibility for your actions, own your decisions and stand by them.