The Leadership Moment You Almost Missed

Leadership moments don't usually announce themselves.

They usually just look like Tuesday.

The conversation after the meeting.
The email you're about to send.
Someone making a mistake.
The question you ask, or don't.
The five minutes you give yourself to think before making a decision.

We can spend so much time looking for the big leadership moments that we miss the ordinary ones happening right in front of us.

I've come to believe that some of our most important leadership happens there.

Not because every moment requires a grand response. Quite the opposite.

Sometimes it only requires noticing.

What matters most right now?

Which leadership move best serves this moment?

Maybe the move is to ask one more question.

Maybe it's to listen instead of immediately offering an answer.

Maybe it's to recognize someone's effort, clarify an expectation, slow down a decision, or have the conversation you've been putting off.

Leadership isn't a checklist of things we do correctly. Over time, we develop a repertoire of ways we can respond. The work is learning to recognize the moment and choose thoughtfully from what we know.

You don't have to become a different kind of leader today.

You just have to recognize one leadership moment and make one thoughtful move.

SOMETHING TO NOTICE

What ordinary moment in your day might actually be asking something of you as a leader?

‍