You can teach your knowledge about leadership. You can show people the similarities and differences of various leadership styles. You can talk about the five levels of leadership or lecture on strategic leadership. You can speak about the 100 universal laws of leadership or the various theories about leadership. Yes, you can do all of these, but leadership cannot be taught.
Leadership can only be learned.
People hire me to teach managers how to become influential leaders.
I design leadership courses that work. Well, my leadership courses work because my students do the work. I won’t get the credit when they become excellent leaders.
I design learning experiences, but the learners create their own experiences. I can debrief every session, but I cannot do the thinking for them. I cannot do the doing for them. Learning to lead is a personal journey.
Your mentors can only show you the doors. But it is you who will pick the one you want to open.
