Leaders do the right things. They inspire trust and engage others to follow their vision. They rally the troops. They build strong teams. They innovate, think long term and challenge the status quo.

Both roles are important, and critical to success.

These are typical definitions of a manager and leader, and they miss something VERY important.

Recently, I heard Osama bin Laden and Hitler referred to as effective leaders because they were able to rally their followers towards a vision and build a strong team. This pinpoints what the definitions above are missing.

Leadership is about two things:

1. Having a unique vision and being able to rally others towards it, AND
2. Bringing out the best in the people who work with you.

As human beings, we are each created with a purpose in life; strengths, talents and skills to be able to accomplish that purpose; and both obstacles and assistance that meet us along the way. We are at our best when we are using our strengths to become the best that we can be. When we only have a manager, they help us use our skills and knowledge to accomplish things, but not necessarily to become a better version of ourselves (Matthew Kelly has brilliant work on this topic.)

Leadership is about connecting with a person to help them to access their amazing potential, of which most people never get anywhere near discovering even half of it, experience success, and applying that towards the inspired vision of an entrepreneurial leader. Leadership towards something that is immoral or unethical is simply manipulation. People are not created to do evil. We may not all agree with each person’s vision, and hence the bountiful variety of people, businesses and charitable efforts. However, a leader is not a leader if they don’t work to bring out the best in those who work with them.

Since I started cleaning horse stalls for $15 a week when I was 11 years old through my current entrepreneurial career, I have thoroughly enjoyed every job and been wearied by certain aspects of each job.  Some places I have been blessed to work with fabulous mentors, and others I have been challenged to communicate with much more difficult individuals.

Every opportunity, no matter its challenges, has been an opportunity for me to grow as a person.

Even when you crave your weekends or days off, look forward to your next vacation, or pine for retirement, there is incredible potential not to be missed in your everyday work.

Work pushes you to develop as a person.  That is a tough process and one you might choose to avoid, if it were a choice.  Work pushes you to accomplish more than you thought you could, solve problems you thought were impossible, push your physical limits, think in new ways, and work with people you think are impossible.  It forces you to be disciplined, to learn to empathize and connect with a variety of people, and to access talents you didn’t know you had.

And the result is that you discover your potential and those talents hidden within you in order to be more productive, more compassionate, more disciplined, more focused, and to make a contribution and bring out greatness in others.  Growing as a person means you move beyond what makes you happy to what enlightens you, and identify and build on your strengths and pinpoint and develop in your areas of weakness.  You develop your emotional intelligence and learn to cope with stress.  You enlarge your comfort zone, expand what you think is possible, and become a more courageous and humble person.

Whether you are working at your first job, or are ready to retire; or work in a comfortable office or sweat or freeze out in the elements, my hat is off to every working person.  Thank you for all you do to contribute to our great country, and to discover your own greatness!

What has been your favorite job?  Where did you work where you developed the most as a person?