[Blog] The Biggest Responsibility of Leadership

by Sam Chand

There are many definitions of leadership; I like all of them. When I think of a leader, this is what I picture: a leader walks into a room carrying a number of suitcases with them. There could be a suitcase called ‘Integrity.’ There could be a suitcase called ‘Experience.’ There could be a suitcase called ‘Competency.’ They’re all different ways of saying, ‘This is what I bring with me as a leader.’

I want to suggest that the biggest suitcase you carry into any room is the suitcase of responsibility. Leadership is not about titles; leadership is not about all the bells and whistles that go with it; leadership is not about perks and positions; leadership brings greater amounts of responsibility.

So, what keeps people from getting to a higher level of leadership? Their inability to accept higher levels of responsibility. Leadership has privileges, but those privileges come because you’re willing to accept greater responsibilities.

Your responsibilities include being a good role model; training others; keeping a good attitude; saying ‘I will go first’; volunteering for things outside your purview; being on time; always rising with courageous, faith-filled affirmation; holding up your primary leader’s arms; ‘being there’; and giving your best.

Every day that you show up as a leader, you bring a higher level of responsibility. And guess what happens? Whatever you sow, you’ll reap. When you have responsibility, more is given to you; and more responsibility equates to a higher level of leadership. Do you want to go higher as a leader? Take your responsibility level to the next level, and your leadership will go with it. Responsibility equals leadership.