What does it take to be a great leader?

Being a leader is not remarkable in itself. For one thing, leadership can be situational or even sporadic. The kid who stands up to the bully to protect her friend is a leader even if she sits back down quietly afterward. The teacher who guides students to understanding is a leader even if he never says anything at faculty meetings. The supervisor who finds it in herself to reach out compassionately to employees who may be troubled is a leader. The driver who refuses to go over the speed limit in a busy residential area even when there is an angry tailgater behind her is a leader.

So leading is widespread and even common. Leading is often reactive. We can all be and frequently are leaders in big and small ways. And while I have been known to draw a sharp distinction between being a boss and being a leader, pretty much every boss is a leader sometimes but a scant few are great leaders anytime.

Leadership is like the ocean surf. Waves lap the beach, sometimes gently and sometimes with fantastic force, enough to reshape the sand if not the shoreline. They come and they go.

Great leadership is something else. Great leaders are not waves, nor are they the tide. They are more akin to the moon, exerting an invisible and ineluctable influence on the ebb and flow of the oceans and therefore sculpting and defining the land. Great leaders are always there, always active, even when you don’t know it.

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