This week’s charge: Lead what’s already yours — your gear, your space, your attitude.

I’ve been thinking about the concept of “leadership,” and I think a lot of people get it wrong. The Army defines leadership as providing purpose, direction, and motivation. But what people often misunderstand is that we must first learn to follow before we can truly learn to lead.

These two roles — leader and follower — are symbiotic. You can’t have good leaders without good followers, but good followers are leaders in their own right. Continuing with my Army example, even the lowest-ranking soldier in basic training is still expected to lead in some capacity. You might not realize it at the time, but you’re already in charge, what we don’t realize is that is simply just your equipment, your bunk, your attitude. That’s leadership, you are Charged With the care and maintenance or your equipment, or In Charge.

Too often, we think leadership means holding some big title or being in charge of others. But real leadership starts small — it starts with you. Be responsible for what you have control over. Set your own purpose, direction, and motivation. Lead yourself well, and leadership at higher levels will follow naturally.

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