I might not know what you do for work or who you hang out with. However, I do know this about you: You are a leader.
Do you have reservations about being called a leader? I can understand if you do. You might think to yourself:
- I’m not the boss at work.
- I’m not the lead pastor at church.
- I’m not the most popular of my friends.
- I’m not the head of my household.
If you thought any of those things, I want to tell you a secret—leadership has nothing to do with what you’re not. Instead, leadership has everything to do with your influence.
In his book, The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership, John C. Maxwell explains that leadership is influence. Meaning, if you have influence, you are a leader.
When I read this book during my junior year of undergrad, it completely changed by perspective on leadership. I concluded that if leadership is influence, then that means everyone is a leader… including YOU!
Think about it: You have influence with someone. It could be the people in our family, community, workplace, or church. You at least lead yourself. I call these five areas where people lead “Your Circle of Influence” and wrote about it in a short published essay called, You Are A Leader.
Application Questions:
- Prior to reading this, did you consider yourself to be a leader? Why or why not?
- Who is in your circle of influence? (Family, community, workplace, and/or church).
- What are some ways you can lead yourself, your family, friends, coworkers, and/or church members?
Nick Chellsen 
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