Calling yourself a Leader comes with a barrow of responsibilities. Many of us leaders are going to be tapped to run for many external positions for non-for-profits and other leadership type of organizations.

I ran across a post from 2009 on the STANFORD GRADUATE SCHOOL OF BUSINESS website called  “Leadership Is Responsibility, Not Power” Even so it was written in 2009 is still holds true.

Many Leaders still think their role to be position of power. The time that a leader ruled with an iron fist is over and a leader needs to be more someone of trust, who can strategize, show a clear goal and willing to take criticism.

A leader also should be looked at as a responsible, and need to be accountable for their actions or their teams action they are leading.

No matter if the Team is now their work team, volunteer team, board team….

Especially when a leader takes a position on a board or volunteers for a function they need to specially responsible and make sure all the T’s are crossed and I’s are dotted.

When you think you are ready to take a leadership position outside of your work make sure that you truly have the time and the energy to perform for the external leadership position. Missing the beat could not only reflect badly on you personally it also could reflect badly on your work and you might put others in a negative position, and you might be asked to step down from the external leadership position or not asked to run a second therm.