Earlier this week, I opened my talk at the NT Women in Leadership Summit with the quote: When you shine your light, others may find their way.* It struck me that this is essentially what leadership is all about, writes author and psychologist Margaret Lambert in her latest column in the SW Voice.
It is also the case that this is true for each of us, as we are all leaders, no matter what function we perform.
Whether we are in designated leadership positions or not, we are leaders.
Some of us are parents or teachers whose role it is to lead children; others are carers leading those whom we care for; others again are coaches, captains or leaders of teams or groups.
[social_quote duplicate=”no” align=”default”]Regardless of any leadership position as such, we are the leaders of our own lives.[/social_quote]
We choose how to live, how to work and how to interact with others.
We may not have full control, but there are certain things that are in our command and our responsibility.
Living and interacting in community, we affect others whether we choose to or not.
We witness so much conflict and disrespect every day, either in our lives directly or through the media that is constantly presented to us.
It is so easy to be consumed by all of this and to feel disheartened and discouraged by our ability to make any difference at all in our community.
Despite what we see in the media, let’s not lose sight of all the good being done in the world including your own individual efforts.
Let’s not lose sight of the effect that shining our light brightly can have on others as well as ourselves.
As we move into the festive and giving season, we can become more mindful of the difference we make when we shine our light brightly.
The encouraging words of Edward Everett Hale were my closing words at the Summit:
“I am only one, but still I am one.
I cannot do everything,
but still I can do something.
I will not refuse to do
the something I can do.”
Until next time…
Marg Lambert
*Opening quote from Longing to Live Mindfully: Little words that make a difference.
