READY, WILLING AND ABLE

Are you ready, willing and able?

I have just boarded the plane, headed home after another great event.  As I handed the agent my boarding pass a double beed sounded and he said, “Ma’am, you are in an exit row.  Are you READY, WILLING AND ABLE to assist others in case of an emergency?”   I looked him square in the eyes and said, “OH YEAH!  I am willing. You’ve got the right girl.  I am SO ready, you have no idea!”

He laughed but I immediately thought of how the call of leadership should come with a double beep and a sounding agent that says, “Are you sure you want to be a leader?  Are you really READY, WILLING AND ABLE to assist others in the case of an emergency?”  In other words, when everyone else panics, can you keep calm and carry on with wisdom, purpose and vision that helps others follow your lead and arrive a better place than they started?

Leadership is not a title or status.  Leadership is a journey of responsibility that lasts a lifetime.  As a mom, I lead my children through the good times and the bad.  I have learned that in times of chaos, it’s up to me to keep the peace, hold anchor, be a lighthouse that show them the way through the dark times.

As a wife, I embrace the honor of serving my husband and being a voice of clarity, reason and faith when storms blow through our lives.

As a business woman and consultant, I often find myself helping powerful brands, leaders and executives in times of transition.  When they are searching for answers, I can’t let the circumstances around me dictate the leader within me.  I must be READY, WILLING AND ABLE to lay aside my own agenda so I can serve the vision and purpose of those leaders I am called to assist.

Today, as you step into flight of the duties your leadership will require in your own life and business, ask yourself, “Am I READY, WILLING AND ABLE to lay aside my own pride, agenda, or frustrations and serve the needs of those around me?  Great leaders are great servants with a passion to make life better for many.