Leadership is a calling. Events or situations exist or emerge that call to someone to exercise leadership. You can duck or hide, but the event or situation does not disappear. The call still goes out.

Each event or situation is different. The courage required of the entrepreneur to risk capital on a bold new venture is different to the courage required to transform a legacy business. The determination needed to develop and sustain a culture of continuous improvement is different to the determination needed to work through a crisis. What is it we ask of leaders? Three things:

Recognition

Leaders need to develop the insight to see, hear and understand the events and situations that demand leadership. If you do not recognise that an opportunity or threat exists, then there is nothing more to say or do. It all starts with recognition.

Responsibility

Leaders need to have a felt sense of responsibility for transforming events and situations. They need imagination – to see beyond what is, to what is possible. They must accept that responsibility.

Response

Recognition and responsibility speak to the character of leadership. However, knowing what the right thing is makes little difference if you do not do it. Leaders need the courage to respond. Moreover, because leaders often must work through others, that means influencing people to respond too.