When we’re young, we often feel like we always want to be the boss. Right now, both of my children greatly wish that they could make all the decisions, tell everyone what to do, and get whatever they want.
But, what they don’t understand, and likely won’t until they are a bit older, is that being a “boss” isn’t about always getting what you want and making all the decisions. It’s a false view, and one that never ends up working out quite right.
Rather, the best leaders are those that make some of the decisions, encourage people rather than tell them, and get whatever they get, so long as it benefits the community-at-large.
This aspect of leading, however, isn’t always the most enticing, particularly when we find ourselves in positions that might seem “powerless” (as our young children, and sometimes our adolescents do).
So, it is important in those instances to help those who might feel powerless to see how, in fact, they really do have the ability and voice to make change. Both personally and professionally we have to encourage all those we work with and serve to share their thoughts, express their ideas, and advocate for what they believe in.
We also have to teach the balance of voice with understanding that sometimes, while our voice adds to the discussion, it doesn’t change the outcome. For my kids, particularly at this point, they have no problem sharing their voice. What is more challenging for them, however, is the balance point, that sharing voice should feel good, even if the result isn’t what we directly want.
In the end, providing an opportunity to share voice is akin to being “like a boss” for both the giver and the receiver of the ideas. The end result? Nowhere near as important.