Responsible Does Not Equal Leader

By Doug Franklin June 10, 2010

One big mistake leaders make is thinking a responsible person equals a leader. Responsible people often look like leaders and its easy to mistake them for people who will lead a project, but if you give a responsible person a leadership role they will quickly burnout. Don’t be fooled when they do what you say and they do it with excellence; this can sometimes mean leader but not always. The best way to determine if someone is ready for leadership is to seek out their passion. If their passion is for meeting a specific need, they are responsible. If their passion is for helping the team or organization meet the needs of others, then you may have a leader.