LEADERSHIP EVERY DAY

by Sheri Heiney, President & CEO, Prescott Chamber of Commerce
Your growth as a leader starts right now, wherever you are at this very moment. You don’t have to be president of a billion-dollar company to be a leader. You can begin with your present relationships – your family and friends, your community associations, your school or your place of work. Developing your leadership skills can prepare you for larger challenges in the future.
For most of us, leadership is a day-to-day matter of how we strive to do our best, as well as how we get others to do their very best. Leadership involves our responsibilities at work, in the community, at church or in our families.
Great leaders are often all around us. Very often, it is people closest to us who are doing great deeds with little means. The seeds of greatness exist in any of us who strive to lead, even in the most modest undertakings.
It’s quite possible that, until now, you haven’t really considered yourself a leader of any kind. Whether or not that’s so, you may be surprised to learn just how many ways you are a leader, especially to those closest to you. You could be a leader to a group, or maybe only to one or two people. It could be in your work, in a special interest you have or perhaps the quality of a relationship you have with someone, such as your children or loved ones.
There are people around you looking up to you, believing in you as a role model and as a leader.
At this very moment, you have the power to help shape the lives of others, especially if you choose to lead by example. Never forget this: At least once every day, try to ask yourself whether your life is setting a good example for others to follow. This is part of the contribution you can make to change the lives of others for the better. The ability we have to make our world better starts with how we live our life and the example we set for others.
Think about how your vision of the future may be pointing the way for others. Think about people for whom you might be a role model and in what ways you are setting examples for them. To expand your abilities as a leader, become the kind of person others want to follow.
Finally, remember that leaders prepare others to assume their roles; they want their vision to be sustained.
For more information about the Prescott Chamber of Commerce, please visit prescott.org or call us at 928-445-2000 or 1-800-266-7534, or stop by the Visitor Information Center located at 117 W. Goodwin St., Prescott, AZ 86303.