“Leadership is of the utmost importance. Indeed there is no substitute for it. But leadership cannot be created or promoted. It cannot be taught or learned.” ~Peter Drucker
Many years ago, when I first read this statement by the great Peter Drucker, I was shocked. The idea that leadership could not be created or promoted, or even taught and learned, seemed illogical and actually depressing. I wanted to be a leader—most people do—and yet here was the greatest management guru in modern times saying that learning how to be a leader was impossible.
I thought about this over and over again, and then it came to me. Leadership is choice. It’s not an art form or a science that can be taught. It’s not a position that can be created. It’s not a job title that a person can be promoted to—it is none of those things.
Rather it is a deep and heartfelt choice , a choice to act on what you believe is right. To go forward toward your goal—with conviction—encouraging others to join you, but not worrying about whether anyone does.
-Stewart Hughes