There are a lot of people in my life that I consider to be leaders. Some are officially in the role of leader, while others are just really great at connecting and inspiring. I've never really thought about what it takes to be a great leader, I just figured when the passion was there, it comes out. Maybe that's true.

One thing that acutely stood out to me was when someone I thought to be a leader let go of something because they "don't make as much money," and "it's the end of my week [shrug shoulders]." I had placed some value on that thing, and now I'm thinking maybe it's not as important as I thought? Of course it all comes down to perspective. However, now the doubt is there and sometimes it can be really hard to kick that out of your head!

Wikipedia's favorite definition of leadership says that it is "the process of social influence [read: emotional influence] in which the aid and support of others is enlisted toward the accomplishment of a common goal" (Chemers, 1997).

If you believe in something - and we all need something to believe in - then forget about the inconveniences. The moment the inconveniences become more important, you've shuffled your priorities and are no longer leading from the top. It is the leader who says out loud that the goal is stronger than the distractions.