Trade In the Spotlight & the Superhero Cape

Our culture tends to equate leadership with power and the spotlight.

The top of the ladder is the pinnacle.

Center stage is a territory to siege.

But let me tell you what you rarely hear about the truly great leaders.

The great leaders are not the perceived heroes.

They exchange their spotlight for the spotlight of others.  They defer the credit to those they lead rather than claiming it for themselves.

The truly great leaders see their role as the champion and cheerleaders of others.  Their quest for acknowledgment hits the sidelines.

Great leaders are the hero-makers.  They let others win, succeed and own the spotlight.

This transition from hero to hero-makers, is one of the most difficult parts of truly being a leader.  It’s the death to self that leads you to the level 5 servant leader true leaders aspire to.

I hope to be that leader one day.  Don’t you?

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4 comments

  • Emily Hendrickson October 31, 2012  

    Yes. Yes. Yes. I am so thankful for the many leaders that have given me opportunities. Now I want to turn around and do the same! Honor the people who have gone before you, affirm the ones that are coming after you! Thanks for being a model of this Jenni!!

    • Jenni Catron November 1, 2012  

      Emily, you are already great at this!

  • Liz Driscoll October 31, 2012  

    This post makes me think of a recent book called Multipliers: How the Best Leaders Make Everyone Smarter by Liz Wiseman.  Her thesis:  Multipliers are leaders who look past their own genius and focus their energy on extracting the genius of others.  Result: by tapping into the collective intelligence of their teams, they consistantly deliver top results.  A great read! 

    • Jenni Catron November 1, 2012  

      I’m gonna have to check that book out. Thanks Liz!