Today I Believe

Leadership is responsibility, not authority

Authority is what the title gives you. Responsibility is what you accept whether or not the title arrives.

An essay by Dustin Michael Drozd

There is a version of leadership that is mostly about being in charge. It is unstable and it is rarely respected for long.

The version worth practicing is mostly about being responsible — for outcomes, for the team's morale, for the decisions that did not go well, and for the people who are watching you decide what to do next.

Anyone can practice this. It does not require a title, a promotion, or permission. The promotions, if they come, follow the practice rather than the other way around.

The team can always tell which version of leadership they are working under, usually within a week.