March 6, 2025

Leadership is not a position or title; it’s a choice

How many lists of leadership qualities needed for 2025  have you read recently? I may be a nerd (probably ), yet I always check out these lists. The list comes from blogs or newsletter articles like this one, and reports of major organizations like Gallup, McKinsey, Forbes, and several leadership experts, etc. These lists share laudable, critical content leadership skills to enhance one’s leadership practice and best serve those they lead. I, however, rarely, if ever, see one particular content skill that is the cornerstone of all leadership content skills. It is what Mark Miller cites as a leader #1 Superpower in Smart Leadership: Four Simple Choices to Scale Your Impact. This #1 superpower is Choice. I often wonder if the choice is so apparent and taken for granted that it is not stressed as a cornerstone of leadership content skill. Choice plays a crucial role in shaping leaders and their leadership practices. This Thursday’s leadership insight describes eight choices a leader must make to lead. The choices they make will determine the legacy of their leadership.

Leadership is not a position or title; it’s a choice. Many leadership experts echo this fundamental truth, which is the cornerstone of practical leadership is choice. As John Maxwell aptly puts it, “Leadership is not about titles, positions, or flowcharts. It is about one life influencing another”.That action starts with a choice. Choice starts everything in the leaders inside and outside the process of equipping and developing as a leader.

Choice plays a crucial role in shaping leaders and their leadership practices. Here are eight areas of choice that affect a person’s leadership practice:

1. Choosing to lead.

No matter how a person becomes a leader, they must choose to be and, often, become leaders. It doesn’t matter if someone is the oldest child or a service member stepping in for a fallen commander. A person must choose to be the leader. Choice empowers individuals to take the initiative. As Mark Miller states, “Others control our opportunities; we control our readiness.” By choosing to lead, we prepare ourselves for leadership opportunities.

2. Choosing which leadership road to take.

John Maxwell refers to this choice as a choice of roads. A leader can choose to be a high-road leader who unites people to get things done. One could choose to be a middle-road leader, leading by transactions and making deals to win. Finally, a person can choose to be a low-road leader. This leader intentionally divides people and creates division for their benefit. Sadly, this model is seen too often today.

3. Choose to lead in alignment with your chosen values: purpose, motivation, and mindset.

Leadership choices reflect one’s priorities and values. Roy E. Disney emphasizes, “Decision-making is easy when your values are clear.” Leaders who make choices aligned with their core principles demonstrate authenticity and inspire trust.

4    Choosing to commit to growth

: Choosing to lead means committing to continuous learning and improvement. As John C. Maxwell states, “Once a decision is made, you should stop worrying and start working.” This choice to act and learn from experiences is fundamental to leadership development.

5. Choosing to embrace responsibility and accountability

Choosing to lead means accepting responsibility for outcomes. William Slim advises, “When you cannot decide which of two evenly balanced courses of action you should take, choose the bolder”2. This willingness to take calculated risks and own the consequences is a hallmark of effective leadership.

6. Choosing to foster agility and adaptability: Leadership requires flexibility in approach while maintaining commitment to goals. Tony Robbins suggests, “Stay committed to your decisions but stay flexible in your approach; this balance allows leaders to navigate challenges while staying true to their vision.

7. Choosing to model Personal Growth by creating a psychologically safe, diverse culture: Every leadership choice contributes to personal development. As Zig Ziglar notes, “What you get by achieving your goals is not as important as what you become by achieving your goals”2. The process of making decisions and facing their outcomes shapes a leader’s character and capabilities.

8. Choosing to develop leaders in their organization and beyond

The leader chooses to establish an intentional framework of leadership development. They could use the Three C’s framework of core leadership skills, clarity, growth, and content leadership skills to build people up and get things done in the context of the time. These aspects of choice in leadership underscore its importance in developing effective leaders.

Leadership starts with a choice…a choice to lead.

Dan Shapiro in Leadership Starts With A Choice…Or Is That A Decision? writes, “By consciously choosing to lead and embracing the responsibilities and growth opportunities that come with it, individuals can significantly enhance their leadership practice and impact. Leadership starts with a choice…a choice to lead. Where does a leader want to lead people, and what will they expect those people to do along the way? One’s values, principles, character, skills, and more will all come into play when going through the process of making that decision and how it is carried out. But finally, a choice must be made to lead before action can occur. So, the word choice means a lot to a leader. Regardless of what attributes a person has, what values they possess, how good their character is, or what skills they have mastered, all of that is simply a possibility bursting with potential until that person makes a choice and action follows. First, a leader must make a choice…a choice to lead. “

Choice is indeed a leader’s #1 superpower. It’s the foundation upon which all other leadership skills and practices are built. By consciously choosing to lead, individuals can transform themselves, their teams, and their organizations. As Simon Sinek succinctly puts it, “Leadership is not about being in charge. It is about taking care of those in your charge”. The power of choice in leadership lies in its ability to inspire, empower, and elevate both the leader and those they serve.

The   leadership question for you then ;

1. How will you use your #1 superpower to lead?