What Does It Mean to be a Leader?

What does it mean to be a leader?

To lead is to serve and sacrifice.

To place the needs of community before oneself,

To consider oneself low to rise together.

What does it mean to be in power?

To be in power is to not know and try,

To accept responsibility and persevere.

I recently read that a tribal chief ought to be the poorest member of community, and that to lead is to serve and sacrifice. This inspired me to examine politics and the greed that manifests in our world. I've often heard the aspiration to lead and the desire to be above others that comes with this fantasy. The illusion is that to lead and have power is to have control and gain privilege but the strength in power comes from love, which isn't something that can be secluded to only one. It is a force that requires sharing to grow.

I've tried to take on the role of leader and it wasn't something I had the strength to do. There are too many needs to tend to and I couldn't keep up. How does one view leadership as privilege and individual power? What surrounds us cannot be ignored and I don't see how one person with all is beneficial to the world.

We all have the potential to lead, even if we don’t gain control. We can take control of who we are and work towards what we believe in. As long as we’re willing to try, open to responsibility and prepared to persevere and grow with others, we can all lead and contribute. We have the power to share!