We have all seen leaders of different kinds. Some of them are quiet, some are loud. Some are temptingly mysterious, some are inspiringly transparent. Some are bold, some are subtle. And so on….

And then there are the other elements – power, influence, charisma, sensitivity, initiative….

There are as many different versions as there are people.

Each of them have their own unique skills and challenges. No one is perfect, and no one got where they are without effort. Every leader is a real person, with real lives, likes, dislikes, snotty kids or whimsical bosses. With effort, anyone can find the space to influence their environment and create the changes they want. Are you game to make the effort?

If you are, I want you to introduce yourself. Your name is just a small part of it. Is there anything specific about yourself as a leader you want to develop? What according to you, are the qualities of an ideal leader?

Write this down. We will be needing this in the next instalment of this course. Doesn’t matter where you write it. If you can write it in the comments here, excellent, because it inspires others to take that step too and gets you started on that first leadership step of stating where you are boldly. If it is too much of public statement too soon for you, write it in your diary, on a piece of paper, in a password protected secret document… – it doesn’t matter. What matters is that you put it into words, and are able to find it again to take it on to the next step.

Don’t worry about possible or not. We will get there in our own time. Right now, the invitation and challenge to you is to simply put words to your wishes for yourself. The more you want, the more you will get out of this – its as simple as that.

PS: This is an online course. There is much I must trust you on, in terms of doing things, as I have no control over who does what and how. In an ideal world, we would have all been in one location and conversing freely. It is different in the online world. It takes more inititive from you. On the other hand, its free!

I suggest you either keep a document that you can keep adding to as we progress, or you can use the comments of this area, not only for sharing and conversations, but also as a handy place to jot things down. Whichever way, remember to stay with the program and not skip through things.