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Some may think leadership is straightforward and something to strive towards as a final destination. The term leadership itself is complex, complicated and not derived from reading books, attending seminars or taking a class, they may help but ultimately, leadership is a much deeper journey of self-awareness and continual growth. The most intriguing aspect about leadership is that it is not in your hands. Actually, leadership is in the hands of those who are around you or know of you because they decide if you are worthy of the term leadership and to be followed.

I guess the simplest way to describe leadership is to share that leadership is not a place to arrive, position or title, leadership is a lifestyle and those around you determine if you are worthy of the title. You don’t wake up one morning and triumphantly say, “Yes, I am a leader!”

There are five A’s that can help you better understand your place on the leadership journey. Leadership is a process of becoming more aware of yourself, others and the world around you. As you reflect on these five stages, ask yourself which one best describes where you are today. More importantly, ask yourself what it would take to move to the next stage.
Absent
You are unaware of the issues, opportunities or challenges around you. This is not necessarily intentional. Life can be busy, and it is easy to become focused on our own responsibilities, goals and concerns. At this stage, leadership has not yet become part of your awareness because you may not see the need, the impact or the role you can play. The challenge is not that you do not care, but that you have not yet recognized the broader picture.
Aware
You begin to notice the issues around you. You see challenges within your community, workplace, school or society. You recognize that something exists and may even have an opinion about it. However, awareness alone does not create change. At this stage, you understand that an issue is present, but you may not fully appreciate its depth, complexity or impact on others. Awareness is important because leadership begins when we open our eyes to the experiences of those around us.
Accepting
You recognize that an issue exists and understand that it deserves attention. You may feel empathy, concern or even a desire to help. At the same time, you identify barriers that prevent you from becoming more involved. These barriers may be time, confidence, knowledge, resources or uncertainty about where to begin. This stage is often where many people remain because they care deeply but have not yet discovered how they can contribute in a meaningful way. Leadership growth often begins when we move beyond the reasons why we cannot engage and start exploring how we can.
Active
You engage when opportunities arise. When someone asks for help, volunteers are needed or support is required, you step forward. You are willing to contribute your time, talents and energy to make a positive difference. Active leaders are dependable and engaged. They understand that leadership is demonstrated through action rather than intention. This is often where individuals begin to see the impact they can have on others and gain confidence in their ability to lead.
Advocate
You no longer wait for opportunities to find you. Instead, you actively seek ways to create positive change. You identify needs, initiate conversations, mobilize others and become a champion for causes, people or issues that matter to you. Advocates understand that leadership is not about being the loudest voice in the room. It is about using your influence, relationships and abilities to improve the lives of others. They recognize that they may not be able to solve every problem, but they are committed to being part of the solution where they can make a meaningful contribution.

The goal is not to judge where you are on the spectrum. Every leader has been absent, aware, accepting, active and an advocate at different points in their life. The real question is this: where are you today, and what is one step you can take to move forward on your leadership journey? The spectrum of the 5A’s goes from knowing there are problems to knowing that you have the capacity to understand the problem and work on solutions.