The last few months have been fairly interesting. Reading through news items and commentaries on current affairs, here and abroad, make for a colorful read. That is to say the least. Almost everyone has something to say about what’s going on. Honestly speaking, some of these headlines have been a topic of conversation between me and my friends.

In one of those threads, the movie “A Bug’s Life” became the topic. My friends recounted quotes on leadership that made a dent to them, as well as anecdotes from leaders they admire and worked with.

Recalling these conversations has brought to mind lessons, I, myself, have learned from leaders through the years. Life and leadership lessons I have come to personally value.

Leadership is a difficult task. While others get graded on the task they do, leaders are judged on whether they carry the weight or not. Leaders make mistakes, like everyone else. Yet, why are some leaders easier to follow than others? Mind you, I’m not talking about blind obedience. There just are leaders you want to work with, more than others. Why is that?

Following are a few answers I have discovered, from leaders I have worked with.

Leaders take the blame, while they give credit to those they lead. I have worked with leaders who showed me that they always had my back. They made me feel I could always soar high. I knew my contribution mattered, even when I wasn’t confident about it. My mistakes were addressed, but I was never hung out to dry.

Leaders listen, and take stock of where you are. It is easy to make decisions when you don’t have to consider where everyone else is. I have had the privilege, though, of working with leaders who knew what was truly going on. Leaders who actually considered where I was, what I thought, and what was going on in my life. I suppose they understood that everyone comes to work, carrying the baggage of everything else that’s going on. They took time to let you know they understand, but you still need to deliver.

Last but not the least.

Leaders know their role, but put value on yours as well. It is said, leadership is critical to any group or organization. I cannot agree more. Yet, there is a humility to leaders who understand, critical as their role may be, they cannot accomplish much without the people surrounding them. The people they are actually leading. They put value to the work you do, and in return, give added value to you as an individual.

There’s a lot we could say about the leaders around us. We could rant, we could compare, we could walk away. We could also make a difference ourselves and spend time working at being the kind of person we’d want to follow. I choose that today. How about you? How do you want to make a dent in the lives of other people? I hope we all make the right choices this day.