Angel Evenson

Is leadership an exclusive club for those who are naturally extroverted & charismatic, or is it a skill anyone can develop?

I received this epic quote from Simon Sinek in my inbox today and it reminded me of when Nova was asked by Gabb Wireless what she thinks a great leader is, & her answer brought tears to my eyes.

“I think a good leader is very courageous and makes sure that the people they are working for are happy, and doing their best work.”

Hearing it from a 9 year old, it begs the question is someone born with natural leadership skills? Or, is it a skill anyone can develop?

I’m big on nature vs/& nurture so let’s dive into that regarding leadership.

Studies show 30-60% of leadership ability can be attributed to genetics. Charisma & Emotional Intelligence (E.Q.) being the high attributing nature factors.

70% of leadership development happens on the job, 20% through mentoring, 10% through formal training. (Center for Creative Leadership)

Though some are born with very high E.Q., typically it naturally increases with age AND can be polished through training.

And while certain personality traits make leadership easier for some, skills like communication, decision-making, & conflict resolution are learned & imperative for long term leadership success.

All things considered, Leadership is not an exclusive club.

Sure, like most things, some are naturally gifted in this area.

But, anyone with a growth mindset who wants to put in the work, can achieve success as a leader.

What did you have to really work as a leader, that didn’t come naturally?

Only measuring progress by “more” creates an ego attachment to more. Is your ego attached to more?

The funny thing here is, more isn’t always money, material things, more followers, a higher title, a bigger house, more sales…

Sometimes it’s more…
complaining…
worrying…
struggle…

Ego doesn’t care what feeds it, it’s fed by identification.

Once you become aware that you’re attaching yourself to something, that’s when transformation happens.

That’s when the ego slows its growth.

Becoming aware is the only way to achieve peace in your life.

If you desire peace, become aware of how you’re feeding your ego.

When you’re ready to become more aware, I highly recommend this book 👉 https://amzn.to/3Wot5rU

I've never let my kids win, in anything.
They have to earn it.

I've gotten a lot of hate over the years for it, especially when they were toddlers, but I never saw the benefit in letting them win.

Whether it was a board game, basketball game, bike race or rock paper scissors...we all competed to the best of our ability.

It didn't start out well.
As toddlers they'd cry and we'd have the same conversation.

"It's taken me decades to get this good, and one day you'll probably be better than me. But only if you keep trying."

They're fierce competitors, and they hate losing.
So, it only lit a fire in them.

Slowly they started beating me.
Dominoes.
Cards.
Football.
Basketball.

Soon...it will be running.

But if I'd handed them that first win at 2 years old, I wouldn't know what it feels like to watch my child surpass me because they refused to give up.

Swallowing my pride never felt so good.

How much longer do you think I have before they beat my beach sprint? 😂