Leadership does not require a position, title, or acknowledgement.
Leading can be done right where you are now. Have you ever heard
someone say "If I were in charge, it would be different around
here?" What they're really saying is that if they were given the
position of leadership, then they would act like a leader. But this
is not how leadership works. Nobody is going to give a leadership
position to someone who doesn't already display leadership qualities.

You can begin to become a leader by leading were you are right now,
even if you are at the bottom of the pile. To lead from any position
in the organization, you first need to do your job with excellence.
You can provide no additional value to your leaders if they have to
constantly clean up after you.

Once you can claim that you do your job with excellence persistently
and consistently, then you can start asking what you can do for your
leaders. Lighten their load by asking what you can do for them, and
they will lighten your load too.

The success of your organization is important to you. If your
institution does not thrive, then you will not thrive either. Before
you know it the organization will be in financial trouble, your
patients will be dissatisfied, and you will be overworked and burned
out! Do your job with excellence, and ask what you can do for your
leaders, and you will see your influence grow.

Everyone is a leader, so you might just as well be a good one!

"Men make history, and not the other way around. In periods where
there is no leadership, society stands still. Progress occurs when
courageous, skillful leaders seize the opportunity to change things
for the better." -Harry S Truman

Best wishes,

David W. Woodruff, MSN, RN-BC, CNS, CEN
President, Ed4Nurses, Inc.
www.Ed4Nurses.com
www.dwoodruff.com