The Dreaded Title Monger
Rich Baron • August 23, 2023
Leadership Is Not About a Title or a Designation
Climbing the corporate ladder is an exciting adventure, to say the least. However, for many, it is simply the pursuit of the title. Quite frankly, it has become very trendy to call yourself a leader, and most who are in this position have no idea what it truly means to be a leader. It has become a personal prize that tells everyone that you have finally made it. The corner office, the money, the prestige, and all the perks that come with it. But once you've been given that title, your function is no longer widgets or data points on your sales record—it's people. You are no longer an individual contributor but are part of the bigger picture where you have added responsibility and accountability. For many, this is a hard transition to make, and assuming that your title alone makes you a leader is a big mistake.
A Title Does Not Guarantee Leadership
One of my favorite quotes is from Margaret Thatcher: “Being a leader is like being a lady. If you have to remind people you are, you aren’t.”
There is often the misconception that by being given a title we have automatically become leaders capable of guiding others to success. So often organizations make the same mistake by tapping people for management roles not because of their leadership potential, but because they've excelled as individual contributors. Statistics show that only 5% of all global organizations are providing the necessary skill development to their employees to become leaders. That means that 95% of the organizations out there are not providing adequate leadership development at all levels.
So if you want to be a leader, begin by asking yourself these questions, “Why do you want to lead? What difference do you want to make?”
"Are you prepared to shoulder the responsibility?" Many of you reading this will not necessarily have any compelling reasons other than the pursuit of the title. The true desire to lead should be born out of a desire to contribute rather than simply achieve. Leadership done right benefits both the leader and the greater good: followers, the organization, and/or the community. Know why you want to lead because, without compelling reasons, you probably won’t be able to pay the cost of developing your leadership abilities and maintain your commitment in the face of challenges.
One of the most important lessons you must learn as a leader is that the decisions you make in the context of leading others impact much more than you realize. Those decisions affect the people you work directly with, customers you might be serving, and other stakeholders in your organization, and inevitably can impact entire careers, yours included. This is something that you must take into account when accepting a position that requires leading others.
A Title Does Not Change Who You Are
Author Robin S. Sharma once said, “Leadership is not about a title or a designation. It's about impact, influence, and inspiration. Impact involves getting results, influence is about spreading the passion you have for your work, and you have to inspire your team-mates and customers”.
As an executive coach, one of the things that I stress is that leadership development can change who you are as a person. If done properly, and the work is done, you will have a much greater sense of your personal strengths and weaknesses, learn when you are derailing, and when to act accordingly based on your abilities. However, on the flip side, a title doesn't change who you are in the slightest. It doesn't make you more aware of your abilities, a faster decision maker, or more capable of understanding those who you lead, the list can go on. In fact, most people will have no idea what your job title is unless you tell them. However, people will recognize you for your leadership abilities and remember how you impacted their lives. After all, leadership is about people, not the corner office.
The bottom line is that coaching, personal development, showing up, and putting in the work to develop leadership skills can set you on the path to becoming a leader. Titles should confirm leadership but they can never bestow it.
Want to know more,
reach out to me
and let's talk about your future as a leader.
About the Author
Rich Baron is a Master Certified Intelligent Leadership Executive Coach at John Mattone Global, with over 25 years of experience in operational and executive leadership positions.
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